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Safety Guidelines
treated with cancer causing chemicals
so as to be pre-disposed to develop
cancer in the absence of RF exposure.
Other studies exposed the animals to
RF for up to 22 hours per day. These
conditions are not similar to the
conditions under which people use
wireless phones, so we don’t know
with certainty what the results of
such studies mean for human health.
Three large epidemiology studies have
been published since December 2000.
Between them, the studies investigated
any possible association between the
use of wireless phones and primary
brain cancer, glioma, meningioma,
or acoustic neuroma, tumors of the
brain or salivary gland, leukemia, or
other cancers. None of the studies
demonstrated the existence of any
harmful health effects from wireless
phone RF exposures. However, none of
the studies can answer questions about
long-term exposures, since the average
period of phone use in these studies
was around three years.
5. What research is needed to decide
whether RF exposure from wireless
phones poses a health risk?
A combination of laboratory studies
and epidemiological studies of people
actually using wireless phones would
provide some of the data that are
needed. Lifetime animal exposure
studies could be completed in a few
years. However, very large numbers of
animals would be needed to provide
reliable proof of a cancer promoting
effect if one exists. Epidemiological
studies can provide data that is directly
applicable to human populations, but
10 or more years follow-up may be
needed to provide answers about some
health effects, such as cancer. This
is because the interval between the
time of exposure to a cancer-causing
agent and the time tumors develop - if
they do- may be many, many years.
The interpretation of epidemiological
studies is hampered by difficulties in
measuring actual RF exposure during
day-to-day use of wireless phones.