Hearing  the sad news of the passing of Beau Biden age 46, son of Vice President Joe Biden, I began  wondering what, if any was the causative or contributing factors of Beau Biden’s brain cancer.

While the specifics of his cancer are unknown,  I can’t help wondering if using his cell phone  had any effect.   We may never know for sure, but the concerns about cell phone use need to be revisited…again.

Are there any connections of cell phone use and brain cancer?  Does the age that one starts using cell phones make a difference?  What evidence is there that long term use of cell phones may increase risk of brain cancer?

According to Medscape, a medical online research journal,

“Long-term use of both mobile and cordless phones is associated with an increased risk for glioma, the most common type of brain tumor, the latest research on the subject concludes.

The new study shows that the risk for glioma was tripled among those using a wireless phone for more than 25 years and that the risk was also greater for those who had started using mobile or cordless phones before age 20 years”

We have known for quite some time that the younger our children begin using cell phones, the greater the risk of some brain dysfunctions.

Let’s face it, cell phones aren’t going away. So what do we do?

Fortunately, there are some measures that will reduce the radio-frequency electromagnetic field exposure caused by the phones being too close to the ears, hence affecting the brain.

Common sense measures include, using the hands-free, speaker feature, even if home while on cordless phones, use speaker feature and place phone as far away as possible.  Texting is also a good option because it limits RF electromagnetic field exposure.

And while we’re on the subject, keep those cell phones away from groin tissue, breast tissue.  Tray and avoid keeping cell phones in pockets and clothing for long periods of time.

If  you’re a parent of a growing child, consider waiting as long possible to give the kiddies the phones…. arguably that’s probably the most challenging :-)

We love our cordless and mobile phones, but being mindful of the dangers and making some alterations in the way we use cell phones can and will  make a difference.

Remember, ” Don’t let the little you can do, stop you from doing the little you can do”