"Smartphone and illness"
Letter of the Day by Meris Michaels published by the Tribune de Genève 2 April 2025 - translationIt is time to consider the potential link between regularly carrying a cell phone in one's trouser pocket and the rising incidence of colorectal cancer in young adults.
A recent study conducted in Chile (De Kun Li et al) concluded that people carrying a cell phone below the waist were four times more likely to develop tumors. According to the study abstract, “young people have been shown to carry their cell phones in their trouser pockets for several hours a day, resulting in significant exposure to radiofrequency radiation in the colorectal region. Intestinal epithelial cells are among the most sensitive tissue cells to radiation exposure”.
Cell phone user manuals advise against carrying a phone on the abdomen, particularly for pregnant women, due to the risk of radiation exposure. Cell phone users, especially young adults, are advised to take precautions to limit their exposure: by using speaker mode or wired earphones, and by avoiding carrying their phone directly on their body.
"Colorectal cancer is unexplainably increasing among "young people" :
Excerpt: This is worrying because, at present, there is no explanation for this early onset. "The risk factors are probably the same as for the older population, namely a combination of non-modifiable causes – including genetics – but above all an increase in modifiable factors – tobacco, alcohol, red meat, a sedentary lifestyle, excess weight, etc. What we don't understand is what this patient was exposed to differently compared to the previous generation."
"Increase in colorectal cancer among young people: the role of smartphones"
