The cell phone, a device that many students dread being without, may cause cancer, the World Health Organization reported Tuesday. 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, which consists of 31 international experts, met in France to review previous studies on the effects of cell phones and the possibility of their being carcinogenic. The agency reported that there is “a possible connection between cell phones and two type of brain tumors: gliomas and acoustic neuromas. The group says there’s not enough evidence to link cell phones to other cancers.”

Glioma is a type of brain tumor that arises from the glial cells of the brain. An acoustic neuroma is a tumor of the acoustic nerve.

But don’t throw away your beloved Blackberry just yet. Mary Ellen Carano, coordinator of the Cancer Research Center at Mary Greeley Medical Center said that “the data is correlational, not causal”

“There has been gliomas linked to excessive cell phone use, but phones are not the definitive, causative effect. Because there are no studies showing that cell phones are the direct cause of brain tumors, we can only provide recommendations for prevention,” Carano said.

According to a World Health Organization press release, “there has been mounting concern about the possibility of adverse health effects resulting from exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, such as those emitted by wireless communication devices.”

Carano offers a few tips that can help lower ones’ exposure to such fields.

“Use texting instead of calling. Or, if you are on the phone, use speakerphone and/or headphones when talking,” Carano said. “Anything to keep the electromagnetic rays away from your head.”

For more information, read the World Health Organization’s press release at http://www.who.int/en/