# Cancer Link to TV masts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2005, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancer-link-to-tv-masts/296927 "2005-03-30T11:20:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ithaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Ithaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ithaka)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancer-link-to-tv-masts/296927/1 "2005-03-30T11:20:14Z")
I live close to this [baby](http://www.valebridge.net/woodville-court/images/thumbnails/mast.jpg) in Crystal Palace, London. If you google on television masts you get a lot of info on links to living near them and increased incidences of cancer. I’m struggling to find an independent source, however. Anyone know the straight dope? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancer-link-to-tv-masts/296927/2 "2005-03-30T15:40:57Z")
You’re only hope is a tinfoil hat. They are going to read your mind… or so a neighbor of mine said (downstairs, across a hall, and we lived near powerlines). Though I never actually saw her in the hat, I’m certain that she had one. I’d say the jury is still out. Imperfect science and all that, but I’d love a long term study to appear in a cite! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ithaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Ithaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ithaka)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancer-link-to-tv-masts/296927/3 "2005-03-30T15:57:01Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > You’re only hope is a tinfoil hat. Already wearing mine. And my tinfoil crotch guard (you can’t be too careful). I think the jury is still out and I’m not sure there’s been a long enough term study. My one worry is that I may be part of that study . . . ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancer-link-to-tv-masts/296927/4 "2005-03-30T17:28:06Z")
People have been trying to establish a link between radio waves and cancer for at least 20 years, and so far have not been able to do so. Electromagnetic radiation is a wide range of stuff. At the lowest frequencies you have long waves, then as you move up through the frequencies you have radio waves, infra-red light, visible light, ultraviolet light, x-rays, then gamma rays. Once you get into the ultraviolet range of frequencies, electromagnetic radiation starts to become “ionizing” which means that it is capable of stripping electrons off of atoms and creating ions. Ionizing radiation is well known to cause cell damage and cancers. Ultraviolet, x-rays, and gamma rays: causes cancer Long waves, radio waves, infra-red, and visible light: doesn’t cause cancer ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cancer-link-to-tv-masts/296927/5 "2005-03-30T21:28:39Z")
I think _ **engineer\_comp\_geek** _ has the best info here… I knew all that but couldn’t drag it up from the deep depths of my mind. And please place a “your” in the place of “you’re” in my first post… I hate that error! The radio waves must be leaking around MY hat!