Cell Phones and Cancer

COMMENT:
After many years of concerns being raised, this is a fairly strong beginning statement from a conservative international body. It does not say that cell phones cause brain cancer, but that "the evidence, while still accumulating, is strong enough to support a conclusion ...The conclusion means that there could be some risk, and therefore we need to keep a close watch for a link between cell phones and cancer risk."

It is also interesting to notice that what they consider the category of 'heavy' users is only an average of 30 minutes per day over a 10-year period. As more and more people give up their landlines for cell phones, much higher use will be occurring.

International Agency for Research on Cancer of World Health Organization: http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2011/pdfs/pr208_E.pdf

ABSTRACT: (excerpts from the press release)
The WHO/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer1, associated with wireless phone use...

The evidence was reviewed critically, and overall evaluated as being limited among users of wireless telephones for glioma and acoustic neuroma, and inadequate to draw conclusions for other types of cancers. The evidence from the occupational and environmental exposures mentioned above was similarly judged inadequate. The Working Group did not quantitate the risk; however, one study of past cell phone use (up to the year 2004), showed a 40% increased risk for gliomas in the highest category of heavy users (reported average: 30 minutes per day over a 10‐year period).

Conclusions
Dr Jonathan Samet (University of Southern California, USA), overall Chairman of the Working Group, indicated that "the evidence, while still accumulating, is strong enough to support a conclusion and the 2B classification. The conclusion means that there could be some risk, and therefore we need to keep a close watch for a link between cell phones and cancer risk."
"Given the potential consequences for public health of this classification and findings," said IARC Director Christopher Wild, "it is important that additional research be conducted into the long‐term, heavy use of mobile phones. Pending the availability of such information, it is important to take pragmatic measures to reduce exposure such as hands‐free devices or texting. "