Renee C. Byer | Sacramento Bee | MCT

Brandon Gonzales, 12, has been using a cell phone since he was 10. Almost all of his friends have cell phones, too. His mom, Elizabeth Gonzales, likes knowing that he can call home at any time. “It gives me peace of mind,” she said. Kids ages 9 to 12 are the fastest-growing cell phone market.

While the World Health Organization announced five months ago that cellphones are a possible cause of cancer, a recent study of more than 300,000 people in Denmark found no correlation between cellphone use and risk of tumor formation in subjects.

Many students said that recent findings have not affected their daily lives or cellphone use.

Students, many of whom use their cell phones on a daily basis, say that they cannot imagine giving them up.

“It isn’t a huge issue simply because I don’t think I can live without my cellphone. It is a risk I am willing to accept,” sophomore Eric Ji said.

The Danish study, the most expansive of its kind to date, investigated tumor formation in people who had used cellphones for 10 years or more. The results echoed those of a 2002 study performed at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis that found no relationship between cellphone radiation and cancer in rats. The University’s study examined 480 rats over two years.

While the inconsistency of studies has left most students unfazed, some said they have already taken proactive precautions.

“I never put my phone in my pocket because I am afraid of getting testicular cancer,” sophomore Adam Sokolowski said. “I remember reading about a study done in Sweden where they found that sperm count decreased when males kept cell phones in their pockets,” he said.

Other students noted that retailers should be required to release information regarding the safety of their devices.

“I read a [New York] Times article on it and it sounded pretty legitimate—they found no evidence regarding cellphones and cancer, so I am not worrying about it right now,” sophomore Ali Haroon said. “[But] they are such a big part of our lives, if something is wrong we should definitely know about it.”