Worried that living near a mobile tower or using your cellphone for hours could cause brain tumours? An oncologist explains what science says.

I am worried that mobile tower radiation or long hours on my cellphone could cause brain tumours. An oncologist explains what science says about mobile tower radiation and brain tumours.

Many people are worried that living near a phone tower or spending long hours on a cellphone could increase the risk of brain tumours. People think that mobile radiation causes cancer. This has been discussed for years.

Dr Sunny Jain, who is the Clinical Director and Head of Medical Oncology at Marengo Asia Hospitals, Faridabad says that there is no scientific evidence that mobile towers or normal cellphone use cause brain tumours.

He says that people are scared because of information and myths about mobile tower radiation not because of proven scientific facts.

What kind of radiation do phones and towers emit?

Mobile phones and mobile towers use radiofrequency waves to communicate. These waves are a form of radiation.. Not all types of radiation affect the human body in the same way.

Dr Jain says that radiofrequency energy from phones and towers is non-ionising radiation.

This is different from ionising radiation, which can damage cells and DNA. When DNA is damaged it can cause mutations that may contribute to the development of cancer.

Radiofrequency waves do not have the same power to break DNA as ionising radiation.

Can mobile tower radiation damage your DNA?

Dr Jain says that it is important to understand the difference between ionising and non-ionising radiation when we talk about brain tumours.

Ionising radiation has energy to damage DNA directly.. Non-ionising radiofrequency radiation from mobile communication systems works differently. It does not have the power to damage DNA.

So the claim that living near a tower automatically causes brain cancer or brain tumours is not supported by scientific evidence.

Should you stop using your cellphone?

Cellphones are a part of our daily life and it is understandable to be concerned about their safety.. Fear and wrong information can spread faster than scientific facts. Dr Jain advises people to be careful about believing claims that are not verified those shared on social media WhatsApp forwards or word-of-mouth discussions.

If you are concerned about radiation exposure or brain tumour symptoms you should talk to a healthcare professional instead of relying on online rumours. The main point is that not all types of radiation cause cancer. Mobile phones and towers use -ionising radiofrequency radiation, which is different from radiation that can damage DNA directly.

While research, on health and technology continues Dr Sunny Jain says that the belief that mobile towers or normal cellphone use cause brain tumours is a myth. Tower radiation and brain tumours are not linked, according to Dr Sunny Jain.