by Maddie Robertson

While research studies haven’t consistently found it to be a cause of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institue a rising number of studies have indicated that technology could very well be a risk factor.

Several potential causes of breast cancer are unassuming objects we use every day: our electronics.

Math teacher Ms. Sue Altman’s daughter, Lyndsay Altman, 26, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Lyndsay, an avid jogger, normally put her phone in her sports bra while exercising.

This may have caused a cancerous lump to form in her breast. Fortunately, Lyndsay’s cancer hasn’t spread, and she is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

In the meantime, her mother is warning every student she teaches about the dangers of keeping electronics by their bodies. “You need to keep your phones and computers and iPads away from you. Don’t sleep with them next to you,” Altman said. “It’s nothing new. They’ve been finding cancers caused by it for 10 years.”

Her message doesn’t stop there, however. While most women don’t get tested for breast cancer until their late 30s or 40s, Altman advises students to get tested as early as possible.

“Please, just listen to the message. Get tested. Demand! Demand that you can get tested. Ultrasounds and mammograms aren’t that bad,” Altman said.