User's Manual
these resu1ts.l
When
20
types of glioma were considered separately, how
-
ever, an association was found between mobile phone use
and one rare type of glioma, neuroepithelliomatous tumors.
It
is possible with multiple comparisons of the same sample
that
this association occurred by chance. Moreover, the risk
did not increase with how often the mobile phone was used,
or the length of the calls. In fact, the risk actually decreased
with cumulative hours of mobile phone use. Most cancer
causing agents increase risk with increased exposure. An
ongoing study of brain cancers by the National Cancer Insti
-
tute is expected to bear on the accuracy and repeatability of
Researchers conducted
a
large battery of laboratory tests to
assess the effects of exposure to mobile phone
RF
on genetic
material. These included tests for several kinds of abnormali
-
ties, including mutations, chromosomal aberrations, DNA
strand breaks, and structural changes in the genetic material
of blood cells called lymphocytes. None of the tests showed
any effect of the RF except for the micronucleus assay, which
detects structural effects on the genetic material. The cells in
this assay showed changes after exposure to simulated cell
phone radiation, but only after
24
hours of exposure.
It
is
possible that exposing 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 abnormalities
to occur. The data already in the literature on the response of
the micronucleus assay to
RF
are conflicting. Thus, follow
-
up
research is necessary?
FDA is currently working with government, industry, and
aca
-
demic groups to ensure the proper follow
-
up to these indus
-
try
-
funded research findings. Collaboration with the Cellular
Telecommunications Industry
Associa tion (CTIA) in particular
is expected to lead to FDA providing research recommenda
-
tions and scientific oversight
of
new CTIA
-
funded research
based on such recommendations.
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 conditions while they per
-