Many concerns have been raised regarding the possible link between brain cancer and using cell phones. The uneasiness rests with the radiofrequency (RF) radiation in relation to adverse health effects in humans.

The antenna is a cell phone's main source of RF energy. When the antenna is held close to a person's head, the greater the person's expected exposure, which is why mobile phone users are concerned.

Peter Inskip works in the radiation epidemiology branch of the National Cancer Institute. He said RF radiation could be compared to microwave frequency in that they are both non-ionizing and generate low radiation, which is not damaging. Ionizing energy, such as x-rays and gamma rays, can cause cancer, mutation and damage DNA.

A cancer information specialist for the American Cancer Society said there is no evidence of a correlation between cell phone use and brain cancer.

Because widespread cell phone use is only a little more than 10 years old, there has been limited opportunity to examine the long-term health effects, according to the society.

The Food and Drug Administration protects cell phone users by regulating phones to ensure the radiation doesn't pose a health hazard to users, despite the fact that existence of a public health hazard has been established only once.

The National Cancer Institute published a comprehensive study last month of possible risk factors for malignant and non-malignant cancer with use of cell phones.

The study compares past usage of mobile phones by comparing 800 people with brain tumors with 800 people with no tumors.

The study examined how long a person spends time on the cell phone and what side of the head he or she uses. The study concluded there was no indication that the risk of cancer increased with cell phone use. Also, there was no association with the side of the head the phone was used and the indication of cancer.

Inskip was one of the study's principal investigators and concludes there is no correlation between cell phone use and brain cancer.

However, Inskip explains the limitations to his study. "One, the technology is so recent, cancer risk may not appear after a longer time," Inskip said.

Secondly, Inskip explained that car phone risk is a known risk because when drivers use the phone in the car the distraction has proven to cause accidents. Cell phone use and cancer is a hypothetical risk.

Many cell phone owners are not overly concerned with the alleged risk involved in using a cell phone.

Erica Lesniak (junior-science) has owned a cell phone for more than three years. She purchased the cell phone to save long distance costs to call home. She claims to use the phone once or twice a day just to chat.

Lesniak heard about the myth of cell phones promoting cancer after she had purchased the phone, but it didn't worry her.

"I didn't think about it," Lesniak said.