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Safety
few animal studies, however, have
suggested that low levels of RF could
accelerate the development of cancer in
laboratory animals. However, many of the
studies that showed increased tumor
development used animals that had been
genetically engineered or 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 do not 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 ten 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