Health: Cell Phone Warning For A Certain Group of Women

By Stephanie Stahl

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Some doctors say there's a potential link between cell phones and breast cancer, for certain women. They're seeing evidence of breast cancer that could be connected to where some women keep their mobile phones.

Cell phones in bras. It's where some women tuck them, if they don't pockets or a purse.

"It might be convenient, but 21-year-old Tiffany Frantz fears keeping her cell phone in her bra caused breast cancer. she ended up having a mastectomy.
"It's kind of coincidental that it's right where I kept my cell phone," said Tiffany.

Donna Jaynes also got breast cancer at age 39. Her doctor said where her tumors developed was an unusual distribution, exactly matching her cell phone.

"Yeah, I thought cell phones were safe. I was under the impression that they were," said Donna.

Breast Surgeon Lisa Bailey says cell phone-related breast cancer may be common. But doctors rarely ask about phones.

"I would never wear a cell phone immediately next to my body and I would advise all women not to do that," said Dr. Bailey.

Some breast cancer specialists also have a warning for men who are getting breast cancer under cell phones in shirt pockets.

The wireless industry denies any problem citing a lack of scientific evidence that cell phones cause breast cancer.

"There's no evidence, but that's because we haven't studied it," said Dr. Bailey.

But the new iPhone manual advises keeping the phone less than half an inch away from any body part.

"If there is a risk and we don't find out about it for five or ten years from now, we're going to see a whole cluster of young people with breast cancer," said Dr. John West, a Breast Cancer Surgeon.

Some doctors say the heat of the battery or the radio frequency radiation from cell phones may increase the risk of breast cancer.

But the Centers for Disease Control says there is no scientific research that proves a link to any health effects.