I suspect much of the skepticism about the real dangers of cellular phone use took another major hit today as the preliminary results of a large-scale UK government study again confirmed patients were more prone to developing brain tumors over the long term.

Researchers compared the health of some 1,500 patients who had developed nervous system tumors (gliomas) near where they held their mobile phones to about 3,300 active cell phone users without tumors. At first, scientists found no link between cellular phones and tumors until they reviewed the medical histories of patients who had been using mobiles for at least a decade.

Patients who used cellular phones 10 years or longer were 39 percent more likely to have tumors on the side of their heads where they held their handsets most often, a result that makes sense, researchers say, because tumors take a long time to develop.

Unfortunately, for many of you, the cellular phone has evolved into an essential tool in your daily lives, so giving it up isn't possible. Your first best solution: Ensure your mobile has a speakerphone function and don't hold it near you at all while talking. Again, due to privacy concerns, that too may be a problem.

If so, you may want to consider the RF3 Headset, equipped with a blue Air Tube and ferrite bead that blocks your exposure to electromagnetic fields, available in my Web store.