88Further information
FDA Update on mobile phone safety
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Most cancer causing agents increase risk with increased expo- sure. An ongoing study of brain cancers by the National Cancer Institute is expected to bear on the accuracy and repeatability of these results. 1)
•Researchers conducted a large battery of laboratory tests to assess the effects of exposure to mobile phone RF on genetic mate- rial. These included tests for several kinds of abnormalities, including mutations, chromosomal aberra- tions, DNA strand breaks, and structural changes in the genetic material of blood cells called lym- phocytes.
None of the tests showed any effect of the RF except for the micronucleous assay, which detects structural effects on the genetic material. The cells in this assay showed changes after expo- sure to simulated cell phone radia- tion, but only after 24 hours of exposure. It is possible that expos-
ing the test cells to radiation for this long resulted in heating.
Since this assay is known to be sensitive to heating, heat alone could have caused the abnormali- ties to occur. The data already in the literature on the response of the micronucleus assay to RF are conflicting. Thus
FDA is currently working with government, industry, and academ- ic groups to ensure the proper fol-
Collaboration with the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) in particular is expected to lead to FDA providing research recommendations and sci- entific oversight of new
Two other studies of interest have been reported recently in the literature:
•Two groups of 18 people were exposed to simulated mobile phone signals under laboratory con- ditions while they performed cogni- tive function tests. There were no changes in the subjects’ ability to recall words, numbers, or pictures, or in their spatial memory, but they were able to make choices more quickly in one visual test when they were exposed to simulated mobile phone signals. This was the only change noted among more than 20 variables compared. 3)
•In a study of 209 brain tumor cases and 425 matched controls, there was no increased risk of brain tumors associated with mobile phone use. When tumors did exist in certain locations, how- ever, they were more likely to be on the side of the head where the mobile phone was used. Because this occurred in only a small num- ber of cases, the increased likeli- hood was too small to be statisti- cally significant. 4)
In summary, we do not have | each year. At that rate, assuming | |
enough information at this point to | 80 million users of mobile phones | by industry, will begin to generate |
assure the public that there are, or | (a number increasing at a rate of | this type of information. |
are not, any low incident health | about 1 million per month), about |
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problems associated with use of | 4800 cases of brain cancer would | What is FDA’s role concerning |
mobile phones. | be expected each year among | the safety of mobile phones? |
FDA continues to work with all | those 80 million people, whether or | Under the law, FDA does not |
parties, including other federal | not they used their phones. | review the safety of |
agencies and industry, to assure | Thus it is not possible to tell | ting consumer products such as |
that research is undertaken to pro- | whether any individual’s cancer | mobile phones before marketing, |
vide the necessary answers to the | arose because of the phone, or | as it does with new drugs or med- |
outstanding questions about the | whether it would have happened | ical devices. |
safety of mobile phones. | anyway. A key question is whether | However, the agency has authori- |
| the risk of getting a particular form | ty to take action if mobile phones |
What is known about cases of | of cancer is greater among people | are shown to emit radiation at a |
human cancer that have been | who use mobile phones than | level that is hazardous to the user. |
reported in users of | among the rest of the population. | In such a case, FDA could require |
mobile phones? | One way to answer that question | the manufacturers of mobile |
Some people who have used | is to compare the usage of mobile | phones to notify users of the |
mobile phones have been diag- | phones among people with brain | health hazard and to repair, replace |
nosed with brain cancer. But it is | cancer with the use of mobile | or recall the phones so that the |
important to understand that this | phones among appropriately | hazard no longer exists. |
type of cancer also occurs among | matched people without brain can- |
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people who have not used mobile | cer. This is called a | Although the existing scientific data |
phones. | study. | do not justify FDA regulatory |
In fact, brain cancer occurs in the | The current | actions at this time, FDA has urged |
U.S. population at a rate of about 6 | brain cancers by the National | the mobile phone industry to take a |
new cases per 100,000 people | Cancer Institute, as well as the fol- | number of steps to assure public |
