The bMighty Blog -- Mobile

Survival in the business world without a cellphone is unthinkable in this day and age. Even the idea that having that microwave antenna right next to your brain could increase the risk of developing brain tumors does not get factored into how most businesspeople use their cellphones. Granted, the risk is unclear, but are you sure you want to take that kind of chance?

Senator Ted Kennedy's recent diagnosis of a malignant brain tumor is putting the spotlight, once again, on the question of whether heavy cellphone use can cause cancer.

On his CNN show, Larry King recently interviewed a number of prominent neurosurgeons on the topic. (Watch it on YouTube .) The interviews demonstrate that there are no definitive studies yet to indicate a link but for those involved in smaller businesses walking around with that cellphone glued to their ear the kicker is this: the three pretty well known and respected neurosurgeons do not hold cellphones next to their ears.

In The New York Times, Tara Parker-Pope covered the issue in her Well Column. She notes that: "That supposed link [between cellphones and cancer] has been largely dismissed by many experts, including the American Cancer Society. The theory that cellphones cause brain tumors "defies credulity," said Dr. Eugene Flamm, chairman of neurosurgery at Montefiore Medical Center. According to the Food and Drug Administration, three large epidemiology studies since 2000 have shown no harmful effects."

She also quotes CTIA -- the Wireless Association, the leading industry trade group, which – not surprisingly -- said in a statement, "The overwhelming majority of studies that have been published in scientific journals around the globe show that wireless phones do not pose a health risk."

True -- but as Parker-Pope notes, according to the FDA those studies only look at phone use of about three years so long-term exposure is unclear.

She writes: "But researchers who have raised concerns say that just because science can’t explain the mechanism doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. Concerns have focused on the heat generated by cellphones and the fact that the radio frequencies are absorbed mostly by the head and neck. In recent studies that suggest a risk, the tumors tend to occur on the same side of the head where the patient typically holds the phone."

More recent studies she cites suggest an association but it's evident that more research needs to be done before a causal relationship is established.

In the meanwhile, what's a business person supposed to do? Here's an idea: Go buy a headset.

Spotlight on Solutions

(Sponsored By Cisco)