Personal Communicator User's Guide

FDA Update for Mobile Phones
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When 20 types of glioma were considered separately, however, 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 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 material. These included tests for several
kinds of abnormalities, 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.(2)