CNN’s Larry King Live show this week featured some leading American medical specialists debating the issue of the safety of mobile phones following a recent memo from the University of Pittsburgh warning staff to be cautious in their use of mobile phones

Host Larry King asked: “Does cell phone use increase your risk of cancer? It is a hot-button debate.” The setting for the debate was last week’s release of a memo by the Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Dr Ronald B Herberman, who warned his faculty to limit the use of mobile phones because of what he claimed was a possible link with cancer. He relied on unpublished data to back his claims.

The Director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Centre for Environmental Oncology, Dr Devra Davis, said she did not want to frighten people about mobile phone use. She wanted them to take precautions.

She said people should use an earpiece, not keep their phone on their body and not allow children to use mobile phones.

Dr Davis said her colleague, Dr Herberman, had issued his staff memo because he had looked at the scientific literature and was aware of growing concern that “we do not have enough information, nor enough time to be sure that cell phones are safe”.

“There is reason for concern that they may be harmful, so we need to take precautions rather than waiting to experiment on the rest of us.”

Dr Ted Schwartz, Director of Brain Tumour Surgery at New York’s Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell, said he understood that there was some concern about safety among the public.

“But I think there are a few things we agree upon here. The first is that the majority of brain tumours are not caused by cell phones. Brain tumours have been around long before phones were in existence,” he said. “There is not an increased incidence that is significant and it is probably an increased incidence of our ability to pick them up and our ability to publicise them.

“The other thing I think we agree upon is that the currently available literature is at best inconclusive about whether there is a link between cell phone use and brain tumours. There are just as many studies showing that cell phones decrease the risk of brain tumours as increase the risk.

“The question is, is it reasonable to base a public health warning on a lack of evidence? Basically, we have no good evidence one way or the other. And my answer is no.”

The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) relies on the expert judgment of public health authorities, such as the World Health Organization, for assessments of safety and health impacts.

There is now a large body of published and peer-reviewed research into the health effects of radiofrequency emission available to health and regulatory bodies around the world, which is being continually reviewed.

Potential health impacts of radio frequency energy have been studied in great detail over the past 50 years. This has resulted in a large body of scientific literature in this field - covering laboratory, clinical and epidemiological research.

Comprehensive reviews of more than 2500 research publications, including more than 600 studies specifically on mobile phones and base stations, by governments and health authorities continue, without exception, to find there is no substantiated scientific evidence of health effects.

In response to concern about mobile phones, the WHO has issued this statement about mobile phones and potential health consequences:

“None of the recent reviews have concluded that exposure to the RF (radio frequency) fields from mobile phones and their base stations cause any adverse health consequences.”

The WHO does not see any reason for special precautions when using mobiles because mobile phone handsets and base stations are designed, built and tested to comply with strict science-based standards, which include significant in-built safety margins and provide protection for all users, including the elderly, children and others regardless of the frequency of use.

However, the WHO precaution statement says:

“Present scientific information does not indicate the need for any special precautions for use of mobile phones. If individuals are concerned, they might choose to limit their own or their children's' RF exposure by limiting the length of calls, or using "hands-free" devices to keep mobile phones away from the head and body.”

AMTA monitors, disseminates and, where possible, supports research on health and safety issues related to mobile telecommunications. Accurate science-based information will assist people make informed choices about mobile technology and health.

A new communications web portal on health and electromagnetic fields (EMF) has been developed by AMTA in conjunction with two leading international industry associations, the GSM Association (GSMA) and the Mobile Manufacturers Forum.

Emfexplained.info provides easy-to-read information for the public and people working in EMF-related areas to gain a better understanding of EMF and wireless issues. It can be accessed at www.emfexplained.info