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Safety Guidelines
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. Many factors affect this measurement,
such as the angle at which the phone is held, or
which model of phone is used.
6. What is the FDA doing to find out more about
the possible health effects of wireless phone
RF?
The FDA is working with the U.S. National
Toxicology Program and with groups of
investigators around the world to ensure that high
priority animal studies are conducted to address
important questions about the effects of exposure
to radiofrequency energy (RF).