# My cousin is worried my cell phone will give me cancer . . . in the “rectem.” **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 20, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618 "2011-05-20T20:56:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/1 "2011-05-20T20:56:51Z")
He sent me this article from Dr. Sanjay Gupta. [Cell phones, brain tumors and a wired earpiece](http://http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/20/gupta-cell-phones-brain-tumors-and-a-wired-earpiece/?hpt=C2) I haven’t read through all the comments yet, but he said in one of them a lady mentions that her husband kept his cell phone in his pocket and got “rectem cancers.” I hadn’t heard of that one yet We’re going to visit my cousin next week and I’m sure he’s going to mention this article. I’m going to need to be careful so I don’t get in trouble with my wife like I did at Thanksgiving when my cousin told me if wasn’t safe to give our kid vaccines. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/2 "2011-05-20T21:01:43Z")
Rectem? Damn near killed 'im! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/3 "2011-05-20T21:11:21Z")
If that’s the case, then you may be using your phone wrong. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/4 "2011-05-20T21:13:38Z")
This is why friends don’t let friends butt dial. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/5 "2011-05-20T22:50:02Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Rectem? Damn near killed 'im! > > 🙂 \ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/6 "2011-05-21T00:41:34Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > … I’m going to need to be careful so I don’t get in trouble with my wife like I did at Thanksgiving when my cousin told me if wasn’t safe to give our kid vaccines. :rolleyes: Morons deserve to be told they’re morons at every opportunity. Soon enough they’ll quit bothering you. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/7 "2011-05-21T00:50:51Z")
Why in the world do you visit with this person? I would have to stay far, far away. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/8 "2011-05-21T00:51:42Z")
That’s okay, other folks think they’re gonna get “Called to God” this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/9 "2011-05-21T01:27:14Z")
Here, I fixed your [link](http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/20/gupta-cell-phones-brain-tumors-and-a-wired-earpiece/?hpt=C2). You rectem it. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/10 "2011-05-21T01:57:48Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > If that’s the case, then you may be using your phone wrong. I dunno, as his cousin is certainly talking out of his ass. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/11 "2011-05-21T06:18:50Z")
You could suggest that your cousin personally check out your rectum, to look for any incipient cancer. Preferably after eating a 3-bean salad. ---
**Author:** ![AlienVessels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba8739/32.png) [@AlienVessels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlienVessels)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/12 "2011-05-21T08:14:57Z")
Maybe it’s his subtle way of telling you to stop talking out your ass. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/13 "2011-05-21T08:21:50Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Why in the world do you visit with this person? I would have to stay far, far away. I don’t really get this attitude. Sure, the guy’s got some loopy beliefs, but that doesn’t make him a bad person, or unpleasant to be around. I’m friends with an honest-to-God 9/11 Truther. He’s an incredibly generous, friendly guy with a good sense of humor. Crazy as a shithouse rat, sure, but still fun to hang out with. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/14 "2011-05-21T08:28:30Z")
I’d go to find out exactly where this cousin keeps his cell phone when not in use. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/15 "2011-05-21T14:39:24Z")
> [@AlienVessels](#): > > Maybe it’s his subtle way of telling you to stop talking out your ass. 🙂 Or to get your head out of your ass. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/16 "2011-05-21T15:02:23Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > I haven’t read through all the comments yet, but he said in one of them a lady mentions that her husband kept his cell phone in his pocket and got “rectem cancers.” I hadn’t heard of that one yet I haven’t read the comments either, but I would start by quoting the article. It says that approximately 340 million people have cell phones. If one person got “rectem cancers” I can live with those odds. Also, did your cousin spell it like that or was it spelled that way in the comment section. If it was spelled that way in the comment section, I would attack that as well. I can’t believe someone’s spouse got rectal cancer and they still don’t know how to spell rectum. Also, according to the article “the latency period or time between exposure and recognition of a tumor is around 20 years, sometimes longer” so ask your cousin to contact the person who made the comment and find out if their spouse has been using a cell phone for that long. I doubt you’ll get very far with it, but you could try to get into the whole causation/correlation thing. For example, did you know that (making this up) nearly 95% of people over the age of 25 that get cancer ride in a car at least twice a week? I heard that riding in cars causes cancer too. ---
**Author:** ![LilShieste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@LilShieste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilShieste)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/17 "2011-05-21T22:02:03Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Rectem? Damn near killed 'im! Before I clicked on this thread, I said to myself, “If [this] isn’t the first response to the thread, then the SDMB has outgrown me.” So, thanks! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/18 "2011-05-21T22:06:26Z")
Cell phones cause cancer is a harmless ignorant position to hold. Vaccines aren’t safe is worth mocking and open ridicule, because it’s a destructive position to hold. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/19 "2011-05-21T22:15:02Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Cell phones cause cancer is a harmless ignorant position to hold. But it’s still worth mocking and ridiculing, because mocking and ridiculing ignorant ideas is fun. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618/20 "2011-05-22T16:32:28Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > But it’s still worth mocking and ridiculing, because mocking and ridiculing ignorant ideas is fun. Boy, are you dumb! That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard! 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cousin-is-worried-my-cell-phone-will-give-me-cancer-in-the-rectem/582618.md?page=2)