When business was warned many years ago that asbestos might hurt workers, smart companies listened. Now, a top cancer doc is raising a red flag about cell phone use.

Should business owners and IT managers be paying attention?

If they want to protect themselves against lawsuits from workers with company-issued mobile phones they may want to.

The head of a prominent cancer research institute is warning his faculty and staff to cut back on cell phone use because of a possible cancer risk, say reports from the Associated Press.

Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, the director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, acknowledges that the cell phone-cancer link hasn’t been established. But he thinks users should take precautions.

Herberman sent a memo this week to about 3,000 faculty and staff saying that children should use cell phones only for emergencies because their brains are still developing. He cautioned adults to keep cell phones away from the head and use the speakerphone or a headset.

“Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use,” he wrote in his memo.

“Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn’t wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later,” Dr. Herberman told The Associated Press.

Brain surgeons have also expressed similar concerns.

Some research suggests a link between cell phone use and three types of tumors: glioma; cancer of the parotid, a salivary gland near the ear; and acoustic neuroma, a tumor that essentially occurs where the ear meets the brain.

Tags: cancer, cellphones, doctor, lawsuits, mobile phones, warning