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Tim Mosenfelder / Getty Images Contributor
Sheryl Crow performs at the Mountain Winery on July 22, 2012 in Saratoga, Calif.
Singer Sheryl Crow says she believes her benign brain tumor was caused by frequent cellphone use, but the science to date does not support her theory.
Crow said that although no doctors will confirm it, she thinks it's possible her brain tumor, called a meningioma, is related to her cellphone use. "I [used to spend] hours on the old, archaic cellphones," Crow said on Monday's episode of Katie Couric's daytime talk show "Katie."
However, there is little evidence linking cellphone use to brain tumors, and most studies have not found a link. For one thing, brain tumors aren't any more common, although cellphone use has exploded.
"There is no conclusive proof that cellphones cause brain tumors," said Dr. Michael Schulder, vice chairman of the department of neurosurgery at Cushing Neuroscience Institute in Manhasset, N.Y.
About 6,000 people are diagnosed with meningiomas yearly in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute. Schulder told MyHealthNewsDaily that Crow falls into the group that is most prone to developing meningiomas — women in their 40s and 50s.
Although they're called brain tumors, meningiomas actually form in the lining of the brain rather than the brain itself. Most are benign, meaning they are unlikely to spread to other sites within the body.
"There is no reason to think that there's some other extra cause" for Crow's meningioma. "She meets the risk factor profile for developing that tumor," said Schulder, who is not involved in Crow's care.
Cellphones emit radiofrequency energy, which can be absorbed by tissues, according to the NCI. But so far, the only known biological effect of this energy, which is also emitted by microwave ovens, is a tiny rise in temperature, the NCI says. Unlike the ionizing radiation in X-rays, radiofrequency energy is not known to damage DNA. (Damage to DNA is considered a necessary step to cause cancer, the NCI says.)
A Danish study of nearly 2.9 million people that was published last year found that those who used cellphones for 11 years or more were no more likely to develop a type of benign brain tumor called a vestibular schwannoma than those who used cellphones for a shorter period, or not at all.
Another 2011 study from Denmark found no link between the location of brain tumors called gliomas and the regions of the brain that are exposed to the highest levels of radiofrequency energy.
In addition, between the 1987 and 2007, a period when cellphone use rose rapidly, there was no increase in the incidence of brain cancer in the United States, the NCI says.
A U.S. government study published last year did find that people who used a cellphone for 50 minutes showed an increase in sugar metabolism in the tissues on the side of their head closest to the phone. However, the health outcomes of this increased metabolism were not known, the researchers said. In May 2011, the World Health Organization said it was conceivable that cellphones might cause cancer.
Because cellphone technology is changing rapidly, and people use cellphones differently from in the past, more research is needed on the possibility of a link between cellphones and cancer, the NCI says.
In the meantime, Schulder said, people can use hands-free devices, such as headsets, to avoid unnecessary exposure to cellphone radiofrequency energy.
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People who dismiss any possibility of the connection are the same ones who believe building 7 collapsed on
its own accord when it was not even hit with a plane.
It could happen, but it's not at all likely.
To trust Science is like finding a cure for a common cold...Show me the Money..haha
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!!!!!!!!!
So why did she use them?
Ok, everybody who is saying Sheryl Crow is stupid... stop and think for a second. She said something, based on probably what was countless hours of research (her life may have depended on it), talking to all kinds of specialists (she's got the money), talking to all kinds of people (celebrities are pretty popular and have a lot of connections) but because one article online said that there was one doctor who said there wasn't a direct correlation you call her stupid?
I've heard brain surgeons say to not hold cell phones to your head because, guess what, you're more likely to get a tumor in that area. I would take the word of a brain surgeon who's had the life time experience (more than any person alive) dealing with this EXACT issue.
If somebody wrote an article saying that Neil Young landed on the moon, would you be like "You morons, it wasn't Neil Armstrong, it was Neil young. *mumbles to self* idiots..."
The Amount of income the economy would suffer if ever this became fact instead of conjecture would be tremendous, so you can bet if this was at all true, corporate society would have it covered up with the governments blessing.
Another singer, expressing idiotic views. Love your songs, but other then that. STFU!
Get off the phone, will ya!?
I've got news for you...living on the planet Earth causes cancer. Stop being a hypochondriac thinking every little thing is bad for you. I guarantee that going outside on a really sunny day with no protection is far more harmful to you than ever using your cell phone.
STOP... HALT, and HOLD ON, right there!!
Cell phone, schmell phone... She's spent HOURS upon countless HOURS in recording studios wearing headphones too! - and on stage... performance after performance she wears an ear piece "In Ear Monitor".
So STOP trying to point the finger and blame Someone or Something Else for YOUR lack of Judgement and BS claim against cell phones!!
I had the same thing; it is more likely caused by too many dental xrays as a child. There have been studies released on this recently
Amazes me how many news stories on MSN devolve into just another political debate. Like that guy above me who said "brain tumors are caused by liberalism". It makes me lose faith in the human race.
Can't we have a discussion that sticks to the topic on hand without bringing in outside crap?
Can cell phone use cause cancer? It's possible. So could hot dogs, beer, computers, TVs, microwaves, etc.
What people need to understand is that POSSIBLE does not equal LIKELY.
Yeah, that guy could at least have been accurate! The truth is, liberalism is caused by brain tumors.
Maybe I should go get an MRI then =P.
Notice how the doctor danced around the issue by sayinr there is no "conclusive" proof that cell phones cause brain tumors. That's what the tobacco industry said for years concerning lung cancer. In fact, there have been multiple studies worldwide that have concluded that there is in fact a link between heavy cell phone use and brain tumors.
Okay, so since when does science need to approve people's opinions? Especially on a subject where all of the players trying to "prove" something have a vested legal interest in the "scientific evidence" having one or the other specific result. Certainly Crow can't offer any proof that cell-phones caused her tumor, but she's certainly entitled to her own opinion on the matter...
Who did those studies that say there is no link means absolutely nothing. Who funded those studies is what matters. There are people who will only benefit from cell phones being "proved" not dangerous, and other people who will benefit from people constantly having symptoms and spending time (and money) in diagnosis and/or treatment of brain tumors.
It's like the studies funded by the meat industry that say there is no link between eating red meat and high cholesterol, weight gain and cancer. Could never have predicted the outcome of that "research"!!
Maybe since cell phones are now being used more for texting than talking, the number of brain and/or facial tumors will decrease. Of course, then you'll have to deal with carpal tunnel syndrome. Sigh ... if it's not one thing, it's another.
There is no harm in using a hands free device so that the transmitter is not 2 inches from your brain.
Cellphones haven't been in use long enough to provide a valid study on whether they affect the brain or not. Making claims now either way is stabbing in the dark. But who's to say cellphones won't have an effect onthe brain after 30-40 years? Many cancers take decades to form in tissue. If you feel confident constantly exposing your brain to an upclose electro magnetic field of undetermined long term effects, have at it.
As far as Crow, if you were diagnosed with a brain tumor tomorrow, wouldn't you try to figure out the cause?
I'm surprised she didn't blame it on George Bush...
funny but alot of people do not remember the alar scare of the 80's that shut down 100's of apple farms on false data championed by stars in a congressional hearing. hundreds of families destroyed by the utterance of blond airheads to the congress with zero proof! hence we come to crow who tries to find fault with something when it could just be genetic abnormality. i know i had one also i never used the mitt sized cell phones!
The name science should only apply to math, cause is the only subject that can be proven, all others, specially those that are more hearsay than science should be given a more appropriately name like: Guess work.
Heck, I even question the god particle. If it is a particle, it's not God, at least not in the same meaning that the world knows. Everybody talks about his/her own experiences and no matter what other have to say, we always choose that option that we know worked for us. Let's take gravity for example. It's a law and nobody, but nobody denies it. We all agree, because it has been proven, that exists. All other subjects are not that clear, ergo, they shouldn't be called science. When we call medicine, psychology, even economics a science, etc, what we are really doing is glorifying your guess is as good as mine and in so doing given more credit than credit is due.
How many times, specially in criminal justice, one side gets an "expert", a "scientist" to prove or disprove something and the other side just says the opposite and nobody can say with the certainty of a law of physics that his/her position is right, but it's more like an educated guess and nothing more.
I believe what I believe based more on what I know about the subject and based on my own experiences than in what "scientists" with hidden agendas tell me. There are many charlatans out there and if you believe every thing you hear from them, you have a fool as a partner.
"There are three types of lies-lies, damnable lies and statistics" (I believe Mark Twain wrote that). So, we d/k a lot of things and we cannot trust the stats. However, sometimes, anecdotal "evidence" can be powerfully persuasive. We cannot "prove" certain herbs help with cancer, but I know they work. My dog had 23 rounds of chemo and only got sick from it 2X when I couldn't give him the Chinese herbs the vet prescribed. He uses eastern/western methods and I have seen the results many times (I am also an animal rescuer/foster/animal lawyer) as have the hundreds of people in our rescue "circles". I didn't filter the water for a few months (long story) and 3 out of 4 dogs developed bumps and lesions. I started filtering and boiled it, and the bumps and lesions went away. I dug a little and our water supplier admitted to several breast cancer fdns (incl Baldwin, who also lives on Long Island) that water at the end of a water line is bad , and I live at the enbd of a cul-de-sac. Again, we have no "proof" about the water but I will never drink tap water w/o filtering and boiling.
I agree that celebrities are not experts but she is allowed her opinion just like you and I. The shame of the whole thing is that this week they can say science does not support the claim but I am sure soon, some doctor or group will come out with their own evidence that it does cause cancer.
In today's USA Today there is a story that taking fish oil pills does not help prevent heart disease after years of being told it does. Now they say, eat two meals of fatty fish per week. Our medical research community is on the take just like our politicians. I will bet if you looked close enough that you would find this research was paid for by a fishery or restaurant association or something like that.
Bottom line is every ones body is different and they react differently. You are born you live and you die. Cant stop it but you can make a group of people rich along the way if you listen to them.
Live life and enjoy it cause it is way too short no matter what.
Didn't the last ignorant liberal (repetitive I know) scare people into not vaccinating their kids because SHE suspected it caused down syndrome. Now yet another one's ignorance tell us cell phones give you brain cancer. Just because people give you money for singing or professional lying or taking your cloths off does not make you intelligent, just because you have money does not fix stupid, just look at the Dem party, they constantly tell themselves they are more intelligent than everyone else, but it still doesn't make it true.
Why anyone cares or pays attention to what entertainers have to say is beyond me. I can't imagine a class of people less connected to reality.
I believe that her Brain Tumor was brought on by her crappy music!