The head of a prominent cancer research institute has warned people to limit the use of cell phones. The warning has been issued by Dr. Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, despite the fact that numerous earlier studies carried out have not been able to establish a connection between cancer and cell phone usage, and the easy attitude of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to the issue.

Dr. Herberman's warning states, “Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use.”  He feels while all the people should limit their cell phone usage, children in particular need to be more careful and should use cell phones only for emergencies because their brains are still developing. “Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn’t wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later.”

He advises adults to keep the phone away from the head and try to use either the speakerphone or a wireless headset and advises against the use of cell phones in confined public places as they could expose others to their phones electromagnetic field.

Some of the researches done earlier have shown a possible link between three types of tumors, glioma; cancer of the parotid, a salivary gland near the ear, and acoustic neuroma, a tumor that essentially occurs where the ear meets the brain. The incidence of these tumors is rare, so even if cell phone use does increase the risk, it is still very low. Electromagnetic radiation however is an issue that worries some scientists, though it has never became a topic of major discussion.

Herberman says that he is ringing the alarm bells based on early unpublished data. "The potential elevated risk of brain tumors after long-term cellular phone use awaits confirmation by future studies” he say.

Authorities in Britain, France and India have cautioned cell phone usage by children.