Landmark decision by Italian court in favor of cell phone use being responsible for causing benign brain tumor.

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In a potentially landmark decision an Italian court has ruled that excessive, work-related use of a mobile phone caused an executive to develop a benign brain tumor.

Roberto Romeo, 57, testified in the court that he has to use cell phone for 3-4 hours of each working day for last 15 years.

His lawyers, Stefano Bertone and Renato Ambrosio said in a statement "For the first time in the world, a court has recognized a causal link between inappropriate use of a mobile phone and a brain tumor."

Romeo has been awarded  a compensation of 500 Euros for life, to be paid by INAIL, a national insurance scheme covering workplace accidents.

We as physicians are constantly using mobile for either personal use, seeking healthcare information through internet or apps or communicate with patients.

According to Wolters Kluwer Health infographic:

72% of physicians’ access drug information from smartphones.

63% of physicians access medical research from tablets.

44% of physicians communicate with nurses and other staff from smartphones.

The figure explains the percentage of day mobile phone is used by physicians:

  

Several studies have looked into possible links between cell phone use and tumors. Most of these studies have focused on brain tumors. These studies have mixed results. All studies have limitations so it is unlikely whether they will end the controversy.

All the major organizations like CDC, FDA and  National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) agree that the potential evidence is limited and it does not prove causation.

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is a part of WHO has classified radio frequency (RF) fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” based on limited evidence of a possible increase in risk for brain tumors among cell phone users, and inadequate evidence for other types of cancer. 

The FDA has suggested some steps that concerned cell phone users can take to reduce their exposure to radio-frequency energy:

Reserve the use of cell phones for shorter conversations or for times when a landline phone is not available.

Use a device with hands-free technology, such as wired headsets, which place more distance between the phone and the head of the user.

Texting instead of talking on the phone may be another option to reduce your exposure.

Limit your (and your children’s) cell phone use. This is one of the most obvious ways to limit your exposure to RF waves from cell phones. You may want to use your cell phone only for shorter conversations, or use it only when a conventional phone is not available.

Meanwhile, until we get some evidence based results, we can all be more aware of how to reduce our exposure to RF waves and make ‘smart use’ of our smart phones.