Have you ever been worried whether your cell phone might give you cancer? If you have, you were most likely concerned about whether holding it close to your head would give you brain cancer.
However, you may also have read about a study from 2018 published in Environmental Health Perspectives. This study looked at whether being exposed to blue light at night could be associated with an increased risk for cancers that are related to sex hormones, such as prostate cancer. The scientists conducting the study found that men who were exposed to more blue light at night were at double the risk for prostate cancer.
One source of blue light for many of us is our phones. Pew Research Center states that 97% of people between the ages of 18 and 49 own smartphones, and this figure only drops to 89% in people between the ages of 50-64. Additionally, a survey by Sleepopolis revealed that 2 out of 3 people spend most of their evenings looking at screens.
Given the ubiquity of cell phone usage, this begs the question of whether men who frequently use their phones should be worried about prostate cancer, either because of radiation or blue light exposure. To get answers, Health Digest consulted with Justin Houman MD, FACS, Assistant Professor in the Department of Urology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
No strong evidence links phones and prostate cancer
“The primary concern with cell phones has been the potential for RFR [radiofrequency radiation] to increase the risk of certain types of cancer, particularly brain tumors,” Houman explained, adding that, to date, no large-scale studies or reviews have confirmed a link between cell phone radiation and cancer.
Houman went on to add that the evidence linking cell phones with prostate cancer is even weaker. “Current scientific consensus suggests that the levels of RFR emitted by cell phones are too low to cause significant biological damage that would lead to cancer, including prostate cancer.”
Houman did not comment specifically on the research related to blue light and prostate cancer, however, he did note that blue light can have detrimental effects on health. “The blue light emitted from screens can interfere with melatonin production, potentially disrupting sleep patterns if devices are used late at night,” he said.
How to reduce your risk of cancer from using your phone
So, what should men do to protect themselves? “While the evidence for significant health risks from cell phones remains inconclusive, it’s reasonable to take some simple precautions,” said Houman. To reduce your exposure to radiation, he advises using hands-free devices, limiting phone use, texting instead of calling, and not sleeping with your phone nearby or under your pillow.
When it comes to blue light, your best bet is to keep an eye on your screen time, especially when it’s near bedtime. Also, according to Sleep Doctor, it’s not just our phones that we need to watch out for. Fluorescent lights, LED lights, televisions, computer screens, tablets, e-readers, and video game consoles can all wreak havoc with our circadian rhythm.
To reduce the deleterious effects of blue light on sleep, Sleep Doctor suggests turning off your electronics two to three hours before you plan to hit the hay. Also, dim your lights or turn them off and use lamps that emit red or orange light rather than blue. When you’re using your phone or other devices, make sure to use the “night mode” if your device has it. There are also apps that can help you reduce your blue light exposure. Finally, if there are lights that you can’t turn off, try using an eye mask to block them out after you lie down to sleep.