Health and Safety Information 215
information about the COSMOS study can be
found at
http://www.ukcosmos.org/index.html
.
Risk of Brain Cancer from Exposure to Radio
Frequency Fields in Childhood and
Adolescence (MOBI-KIDS)
MOBI-KIDS is an international study investigating
the relationship between exposure to radio
frequency energy from communication
technologies including cell phones and brain
cancer in young people. This is an international
multi-center study involving 14 European and
non-European countries. Additional information
about MOBI-KIDS can be found at
http://www.creal.cat/programes-recerca/
en_projectes-creal/view.php?ID=39.
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End
Results (SEER) Program of the National
Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) actively
follows cancer statistics in the United States to
detect any change in rates of new cases for
brain cancer. If cell phones play a role in risk for
brain cancer, rates should go up, because heavy
cell phone use has been common for quite some
time in the U.S. Between 1987 and 2005, the
overall age-adjusted incidence of brain cancer
did not increase. Additional information about
SEER can be found at
http://seer.cancer.gov/
.
Cell Phone Industry Actions
Although the existing scientific data do not justify
FDA regulatory actions, the FDA has urged the
cell phone industry to take a number of steps,
including the following:
��
Support-needed research on possible biological
effects of RF for the type of signal emitted by cell
phones;
•
Design cell phones in a way that minimizes any
RF exposure to the user; and
•
Cooperate in providing users of cell phones with
the current information on cell phone use and
human health concerns.
The FDA also is working with voluntary standard-
setting bodies such as the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the
International Commission on Non-Ionizing
Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), and others to
assure that safety standards continue to
adequately protect the public.
Reducing Exposure: Hands-Free Kits and Other Accessories
Steps to Reduce Exposure to Radio
Frequency Energy
If there is a risk from being exposed to radio
frequency energy (RF) from cell phones - and at
this point we do not know that there is - it is
probably very small. But, if you are concerned