Italian Court Says Man's Cellphone Caused Tumor
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Italy's supreme court upheld a ruling that one older businessman's cellphone use caused his tumor.
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Italy's supreme court has upheld a ruling that daily cellphone use caused one Italian businessman's non-cancerous tumor. The decision comes at a time when the best scientific data available says cellphones don't cause tumors in most adult users.
The ruling doesn't undermine that science, Malcom Sperrin, director of medical physics at Britain's Royal Berkshire Hospital, told Reuters. "Great caution is needed before we jump to conclusions about mobile phones and brain tumors," he said.
Others are advising caution. "This is an interesting case and proves the need for more studies," Alasdair Philips, the director of Powerwatch, told the U.K.'s the Sun paper. Powerwatch members are "concerned about the consequences of [the] irradiated 'blue world'," according to the organization's website. "People should limit mobile and cordless use until we know more," Philips said.
Innocente Marcolini, 60, used his cellphone for five to six hours a day, for work, over 12 years, Reuters reported. He developed a neurinoma, a non-cancerous tumor of a nerve, on the side of his head where he usually placed his phone while talking. The tumor required surgery and he now needs morphine daily for pain, the Sun reported.
Marcolini wanted financial compensation from the Italian Workers' Compensation Authority, INAIL, but the agency said there was no proof Marcolini's work caused his neurinoma, Reuters reported. A court in Brescia ruled there was enough evidence that cellphones cause tumors. INAIL appealed to the Italian supreme court, which ruled on Oct. 12 to uphold the Brescia decision. Reuters details the science used in the decision.
Here at TechNewsDaily, we've followed several studies about cellphones and tumors. One of the longest-running, a 17-year study of about 358,000 Danish cellphone subscribers, found that mobile phone users don't have a higher risk of cancer than non-users.
For those who wish to reduce their cellphone radiation, we have some tips for staying just a few inches further away from the phone.
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