Cell Phone DANGER

Last week, the buzz in much of medical media centered around cell phone use and risk of cancer, because an early release of a study published in an oncology medical journal noted that cell phone users had a 40% INCREASE in gliomas, which are a type of brain tumor. To put it in perspective, though, the baseline glioma risk in the general population is 1 in every 200,000 adults. The potential cell phone increase would increase that risk to 1 in 120,000. However, given the 5 BILLION cell phone users worldwide, everyone is understandably concerned with whether or not they can cause cancer in humans. The World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO/IARC) has indeed now classified these radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as "possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)". Of course, these fields can come from microwaves, tv's, and radars, as well as cell phones.

When are the phones considered dangerous? When the phone is used on the same side for 30 minutes/day for > 10 years. (Lancet Oncology; July, 2011). Previous studies showed no increased risk if you alternate ears as you talk on the phone, and the jury is still out regarding blue-tooth and other wireless devices.

What is my level of concern? As usual, I think overuse of nearly anything can be harmful to your health, whether it's chocolate, french fries, wine or cell phones. I know that cell phones are causing far more harm RIGHT NOW as people chat on the phone nonstop as they drive, and heaven forbid, TEXT. I was nearly hit in a parking garage today by a driver busily texting as she negotiated the tight ramps. Apparently simply dialing your phone while driving TRIPLES your risk of a car accident, and texting increases that risk by a factor of 28!!

As a side note, my kids know that I am always looking for pictures for this blog. We were driving the other day, and a young woman passed us (in the right hand lane, mind you!) while she was looking at her cell phone AND smoking a cigarette. Immediately everyone in our car (EXCEPT THE DRIVER) reached for a phone or camera to grab her picture as the health "DON'T", and the kids launched into "my" speech about driving safety. She sped away before we caught her picture, so this is me POSING as the driving "DON"T".

BOTTOM LINE: PLEASE, leave your CELL PHONE in the BACK SEAT (or your purse, or the trunk- whatever is safely out of reach) when you drive, so you wont be even tempted to look at your latest text, none the less, respond.

Breaking News for SMOKERS

Last week we had an encouraging development for smokers- the National Cancer Institute prematurely stopped a study because they felt ethically obligated to let all the participants know that a low dose CT scan of the lungs as a screen for lung cancer was yielding a 20% decrease in mortality (as compared with screening chest xrays). What does this mean? Should every smoker get a lung CT scan?

Hold your horses- CT scans for all smokers is NOT the answer- though I wish it were that simple. What we know so far is that in this group of smokers, which was an older group that had a greater than 30 pack-year smoking history (smoking a pack per day for 30 or greater years), the CT scans apparently allowed earlier detection of lung cancers, enough that they had a significant (20%) decrease in deaths.

Over the years I have had many patients who smoke ask for annual screening chest xrays. I explain to them that this is NOT a good screening method, though often I have ended up ordering the xray, in the hopes that they might at least see some noncancerous damage from the smoking that might be enough to motivate them to QUIT. Now, however, we may be changing our recommendations, at least for the older smoker with an extensive smoking history.

Ultimately, though, the real answer is to never start smoking, and if you ARE smoking at ANY amount, find help asap to QUIT!
I'll spend more time this week discussing smoking cessation, but know that there are seven medical aids available through your physician that can help you quit for good.

BOTTOM LINE: Smokers with a greater than 30 pack-year history of smoking may indeed benefit from CT lung scans to detect early lung cancer- check with your doctor (and QUIT TODAY!!!)

A Scary Mole? Or not...

I think we have done a good job educating the public about melanoma. Most people wear sunscreen religiously if they are going to be outside for an extended period, and more are remembering to wear hats. People are in tune to notice dark black moles, especially any that are growing or changing, and often know the ABC’s of melanoma. (Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, Evolving)

One side effect of all this education is that more people are coming in to ask about a mole on their body that they or their spouse has noticed. Frequently we have reassuring news for them, which is that the “mole” that they are afraid of is simply a seborrheic keratosis- SK for short.

SKs run in families, and tend to increase in number as we age. They are so common that most people will have at least one in their lifetime. SK's pop up most commonly on your chest, back, shoulders, face and abdomen. They are brown, black, or pale, raised and waxy or scaly, and look like they are stuck on, as though they can easily be scratched off. They can “itch and be ugly” (to quote my old dermatology teachers) but only very rarely become dangerous. If they are bothersome, a treatment with liquid nitrogen will typically make them go away. The bad news, however, is you are likely to make more. Check out the Mayo Clinic's pictures of SK's.

BOTTOM LINE: Do not hesitate to go to your family doctor or dermatologist and get your moles checked out- it's not all bad news, and many are easily treated if they bother you!