Cell phones and bras

[pam]

I was watching a pretty good show last night on those women who stick their cell phones in their bras.

Many new cases of spots on mammograms are coming up exactly where the women said they stash their cell phone in their bra.

I don't have a link but I'll see if I can find one. Like I said, I just happened to see it on tv last night.

There are a few articles when searching google. One of the most recent from a week ago:

Doctors warn of breast-cancer link to keeping cell phone in bra | www.ktvu.com

Edited December 21, 2012 by pam

[Guest DeborahC]

Yes, my son is a surgical nurse and the neurosurgeon he works for says he sees many many tumors on the side of the head people hold the phone up to.

[Guest]

Oh my goodness! I guess I'm glad I'm not a big phone person!

[MorningStar]

Never been happier to not own a cell phone!

[annewandering]

wow! Bra's do make pretty good pockets. Never would have thought they might make a dangerous situation.

[Wingnut]

Interesting. My mom often keeps her phone in her bra. She's hard of hearing, so when it's not in her hand, that's the best place for her to keep it so that she can actually hear it ring.

(Funny anecdote: some people get pocket-dialed, other people get butt-dialed, I sometimes get boob-dialed.)

[beefche]

So, is there a surge in men getting tumors on their thighs or bums? They typically keep their cell phones in the pants pocket (in front or back).

[MarginOfError]

I wouldn't get too concerned about the cell phone and breast cancer link. What's missing from this study is any quantitative analysis of incidence. Instead, they sweep over that saying, "doctors don't ask about it." In the end, we have no idea how many women keep their cell phones in their bras and don't get breast cancer. We can't interpret the experience reported in this article without that piece of information. As it stands, this is a post hoc ergo propter hoc conclusion that probably has very little to do with what is causing these cancers.

Some other things to consider: a while ago there was a report that wearing a bra may be a contributing factor to breast cancer. The evidence--almost all women who had breast cancer wore a bra. (I sincerely hope I don't need to explain why is it absurd to draw this conclusion from that evidence).

Next: If we were to take 100 women who have breast cancer and keep their cell phones in their bra, about how many of them would you expect would have the cancer in the breast where the cell phone was kept? I expect we'd see 50 out of 100 in the same breast. Such would suggest that the cell phone really isn't an issue. Until the believers in this link can demonstrate that it is significantly more than 50 out of 100, there really isn't any reason to be concerned.

Third: There is some thought in the field that we may be overdiagnosing and overtreating breast cancer. I think this is just adding to it.

Lastly: Diet and lifestyle choices probably have a much stronger effect on the development of these cancers than storing their cell phone in their bra. While it may be possible that the cell phone was the last little thing that tipped the scale, why not focus on changing the things that put the scale in play to begin with?

Yes, my son is a surgical nurse and the neurosurgeon he works for says he sees many many tumors on the side of the head people hold the phone up to.

I also have my doubts about this, because under the assumption of no cell phone effect, I would expect half of all tumors to be on the side where the person holds the cell phone. What the neurosurgeon isn't seeing in his statement is the masses of people who hold their cell phones to their heads and don't develop tumors.

But for the sake of education, let's consider this:

We'll take a sample of 100 people with brain tumors. If cell phones have no effect, we would expect that 50 of them would have a tumor on the side of the head where they place their cell phone and 50 would have a tumor on the opposite side.

If, on the other hand, the cell phone does have an effect, how many tumors our of 100 would we need to see on the same side as the phone to determine that there is indeed an effect? Using some magic statistical formulas, I can tell you that you would need to see at least 67 out of 100 tumors on the same side of the head (a two-to-one ratio).

If there were such a large effect, it would be pretty obvious in small practices and the issue would probably have been resolved by now. I suspect the effect is much smaller and confounded by other factors that are harder to observe, and so the cell phone is getting blamed out of convenience.

[john doe]

This reminds me of the lady I saw in Walmart a couple weeks ago. Large lady, large-chested, low-cut top. With a cell phone sticking straight up out of the middle of her boobs a good 2-3 inches. All I could think of was how classy that look is. I'll bet her friends were impressed at how creative she is.

[Suzie]

It's funny you mention that story because I was actually thinking that a woman needs to be large-chested in order for the cell phone to stay in place but what do I know? Where is dash when I need him?

[Dravin]

You know MoE, you should change your avatar to this:

[Bini]

I thought this was a myth that got busted.

I carry my iPhone in my bra. It's very convenient.

[MarginOfError]

You know MoE, you should change your avatar to this:

I don't know...statistics, in general, might be more offensive than the last one.

[Dravin]

I don't know...statistics, in general, might be more offensive than the last one.

True, I find a fair amount of people get a little annoyed when you point out the Gambler's Fallacy or the expected winnings of a lottery ticket.

[beefche]

True, I find a fair amount of people get a little annoyed when you point out the Gambler's Fallacy or the expected winnings of a lottery ticket.

For Christmas this year, my manager got us all 2 scratch off lottery tickets. GRRRR! Of course, the only people that won anything won $1.00. I'd rather have the money he spent. I could get a 6 inch sandwich at Subway for that instead of 2 useless pieces of paper....

[Vort]

It's funny you mention that story because I was actually thinking that a woman needs to be large-chested in order for the cell phone to stay in place but what do I know? Where is dash when I need him?

You don't want to know where dash keeps his phone.

[Dravin]

It's funny you mention that story because I was actually thinking that a woman needs to be large-chested in order for the cell phone to stay in place but what do I know? Where is dash when I need him?

They actually make, Beefche watches Marie on Hallmark, bras with pouches for that purpose. I think it's called the Pocket Bra, though it holds it under the arm (so side of the chest) instead of up front.

[Backroads]

I think I've only used the bra a few times for the phone. At the gym, if I'm not wearing anything with pockets, it's where the iPod and earphones go if I'm not at something stationary.

[mordorbund]

I wouldn't get too concerned about the cell phone and breast cancer link. What's missing from this study is any quantitative analysis of incidence. Instead, they sweep over that saying, "doctors don't ask about it." In the end, we have no idea how many women keep their cell phones in their bras and don't get breast cancer. We can't interpret the experience reported in this article without that piece of information. As it stands, this is a post hoc ergo propter hoc conclusion that probably has very little to do with what is causing these cancers.

Some other things to consider: a while ago there was a report that wearing a bra may be a contributing factor to breast cancer. The evidence--almost all women who had breast cancer wore a bra.

Thanks for this post. Women with cancer who put their cell phones in their bras got it from the bras, not the phone. I grow weary of the blame modern technology gets.

[jerome1232]

Women who put cell phones in their bras are the reason all the bee's are dying

Why don't you people act!

[RipplecutBuddha]

Women who put their cell phones in their cleavage are the reason I don't regard those same women as attractive, or even completely mentally functional. How much more low-class can you get?

Now, I understand, if it's closer to the arm, on one side or the other, that's more discreet, and that's fine. But to jam something right down center while in public is, to me, screamiing to be stared at. Workout clothes don't always have pockets. Agreed. Is it just me, or does posessing a cell phone necessitate preparing a wardrobe that allows it to be carried when not in use?

I wear carpenter pants, and the right pocket down on the thigh is where I carry my cell phone. I know, I know, I'm a guy and all that, but ladies....you have those mammoth purses and bags....is there really no space in them for a cell phone? I just have a fear that some of these ladies that go for the center placement are either absolutely oblivious to what it does to a man's focus when he looks at her, or she's unconciously daring men to say something about her boobs. I just can't think of any other rationale for it.

[MarginOfError]

Thanks for this post. Women with cancer who put their cell phones in their bras got it from the bras, not the phone. I grow weary of the blame modern technology gets.

I hope you're being facetious. My point in bringing up the supposed link between bras and breast cancer was that it suffers from the same flawed assumption as this link between cell phones and breast cancer.

Women who put their cell phones in their cleavage are the reason I don't regard those same women as attractive, or even completely mentally functional. How much more low-class can you get?

Now, I understand, if it's closer to the arm, on one side or the other, that's more discreet, and that's fine. But to jam something right down center while in public is, to me, screamiing to be stared at. Workout clothes don't always have pockets. Agreed. Is it just me, or does posessing a cell phone necessitate preparing a wardrobe that allows it to be carried when not in use?

I wear carpenter pants, and the right pocket down on the thigh is where I carry my cell phone. I know, I know, I'm a guy and all that, but ladies....you have those mammoth purses and bags....is there really no space in them for a cell phone? I just have a fear that some of these ladies that go for the center placement are either absolutely oblivious to what it does to a man's focus when he looks at her, or she's unconciously daring men to say something about her boobs. I just can't think of any other rationale for it.

I daresay you don't really understand the role of fashion in the life of a woman.

[Just_A_Guy]

I daresay you don't really understand the role of fashion in the life of a woman.

That would make at least two of us, then.

[pam]

Women who put their cell phones in their cleavage are the reason I don't regard those same women as attractive, or even completely mentally functional. How much more low-class can you get?

Now, I understand, if it's closer to the arm, on one side or the other, that's more discreet, and that's fine. But to jam something right down center while in public is, to me, screamiing to be stared at. Workout clothes don't always have pockets. Agreed. Is it just me, or does posessing a cell phone necessitate preparing a wardrobe that allows it to be carried when not in use?

I wear carpenter pants, and the right pocket down on the thigh is where I carry my cell phone. I know, I know, I'm a guy and all that, but ladies....you have those mammoth purses and bags....is there really no space in them for a cell phone? I just have a fear that some of these ladies that go for the center placement are either absolutely oblivious to what it does to a man's focus when he looks at her, or she's unconciously daring men to say something about her boobs. I just can't think of any other rationale for it.

Actually most women I know don't stick it down in their cleavage. It's usually off to one side, like under a strap or into one of the cups of the bras. So it's discreet.

[mirkwood]

or into one of the cups of the bras. So it's discreet.

That's discreet? *Pictures a woman "rummaging" around her bra for her phone...*