BenQ Mobile GmbH & Co. OHG A70 Manuel D’Utilisation

U.S. FDA

2004, E:\A

ag\Sieme

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left page (24)

of A70 Dorado, 140mm, us-en, A31008-H2770-A1-4-7619 (05.10.2005, 12:27)

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development used animals that had al-

ready been treated with cancer-causing

chemicals, and other studies exposed the

animals to the RF virtually continuously –

up to 22 hours per day.
For the past five years in the United

States, the mobile phone industry has

supported research into the safety of mo-

bile phones. This research has resulted in

two findings in particular that merit addi-

tional study:
1. In a hospital-based, case-control study,

researchers looked for an association be-

tween mobile phone use and either glio-

ma (a type of brain cancer) or acoustic

neuroma (a benign tumor of the nerve

sheath). No statistically significant associ-

ation was found between mobile phone

use and acoustic neuroma. There was

also no association between mobile

phone use and gliomas when all types of

gliomas were considered together. It

should be noted that the average length

of mobile phone exposure in this study

was less than three years.
When 20 types of glioma were considered

separately, however, an association was

found between mobile phone use and

one rare type of glioma, neuroepithelli-

omatous tumors. It is possible with multi-

ple 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 ac-

tually decreased with cumulative hours of

mobile phone use. Most cancer causing

agents increase risk with increased expo-

sure. An ongoing study of brain cancers

by the National Cancer Institute is expect-

ed to bear on the accuracy and repeata-

bility of these results.

2. 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 abnormalities, including muta-

tions, 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 micro-

nucleus assay, which detects structural ef-

fects 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 as-

say is known to be sensitive to heating,

heat alone could have caused the abnor-

malities to occur. The data already in the

literature on the response of the micronu-

cleus assay to RF are conflicting. Thus fol-

low-up research is necessary.

FDA is currently working with govern-

ment, industry, and academic groups to

ensure the proper follow-up to these

industry-funded research findings. Col-

laboration with the Cellular Telecommu-

nications Industry Association (CTIA) in

particular is expected to lead to FDA pro-

viding research recommendations and

scientific oversight of new CTIA-funded

research based on such recommenda-

tions.
Two other studies of interest have been

reported recently in the literature:
• Two groups of 18 people were exposed

to simulated mobile phone signals un-

der laboratory conditions while they

performed cognitive function tests.

There were no changes in the subjects'

ability to recall words, numbers, or pic-

tures, 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.