PITTSBURGH -- The director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and UPMC Cancer Centers warned faculty and staff Wednesday about the possible health risks associated with cell phone use.

There are 10 recommendations in the memorandum sent out by Dr. Ronald Herberman.

---

Related: WTAE Channel 4's Sally Wiggin reports in an Action News Extra: Cell Phones And Your Health - 10 Recommendations

---

The memo encourages employees to take certain measures to limit exposure to the electromagnetic fields emitted by cell phones, including limiting the length of conversations or keeping the phone away from the head by using headsets or speaker phone options.

The document also recommends against children using cell phones except in emergencies.

Herberman said he hopes the suggestions would spread to others at the university, UPMC and the general public.

"The absence of evidence that cell phones cause brain cancer now should not be interpreted as proof that there is no problem," said UPCI's Dr. Devra Davis. "What it merely means is we haven't waited long enough to know the answer to the question."

Davis was on the panel organized by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber.

"(He)is a brain cancer survivor we cured 15 years ago, and no physician ever said to him that he should reduce his use of a cell phone now that he had already had brain cancer," said Davis.

Davis and Herberman want cell phone companies to release data on cell phone use so effective studies on long-term exposure may be done.

In the meantime, Herberman says companies are making safer cell phones.

"There is apparently a fair amount of difference among cell phones some more than others. And that is one of the recommendations," Herberman said. "Look at the information from the manufacturer about what the so-called SAR rating is."

SAR stands for specific absorption rate. You can find ratings of the best and worst phones on the technology Web site, CNET.com

---

Related Links:
More County News
Get RSS Headlines | Free Desktop Alert

---