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FDA is currently working with government, industry, and
academic groups to ensure the proper follow-up to these
industry-funded research findings. Collaboration with the
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association(CTIA) in
particular is expected to lead to FDA providing research
recommendations and scientific oversight of new CTIA-
funded research based on such recommendations.
Two other studies of interest have been reported recently in
the literature:
1. Two groups of 18 people were exposed to simulated
mobile phone signals under laboratory conditions while
they performed cognitive 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
2 . In a s
tudy 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, however, 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
number of cases, the increased likelihood was too small
to be statistically significant.
4
In summar
y, we do not have enough information at this
point to assure the public that there are, or are not, any
low incident health problems associated with use of mobile
phones. FDA continues to work with all parties, including
other federal agencies and industry, to assure that research
is undertaken to provide the necessary answers to the
outstanding questions about the safety of mobile phones.
What is known about cases of human cancer
that have been reported in users of hand-held
mobile phones?
Some people who have used mobile phones have been
diagnosed with brain cancer. But it is important to
understand that this type of cancer also occurs among
people who have not used mobile phones. In fact, brain
cancer occurs in the U.S. population at a rate of about 6
new cases per 100,000 people each year. At that rate,
assuming 80 million users of mobile phones (a number
increasing at a rate of about 1 million per moth), about
4800 cases of brain cancer would be expected each year
among those 80 million people, whether or not they used
their phones. Thus it is not possible to tell whether any
individual’s cancer arose because of the phone, or whether
it would have happened anyway. A key question is whether
the risk of getting a particular form of cancer is greater
among people who use mobile phones than among the rest
of the population. One way to answer that question is to
compare the usage of mobile phones among people with
brain cancer with the use of mobile phones among
appropriately matched people without brain cancer. This is
called a case-control study. The current case-control study
of brain cancers by the National Cancer Institute, as well
as the follow-up research to be sponsored by industry, will
begin to generate this type of information.
What is FDA’s role concerning the safety of
mobile phones?
Under the law, FDA does not review the safety of radiation-
emitting consumer products such as mobile phones before
marketing, as it does with new drugs or medical devices.
However, the agency has authority to take action if mobile
phones are shown to emit radiation at a level that is
hazardous to the user. In such a case, FDA could require the
manufacturers of mobile phones to notify users of the
health hazard and to repair, replace or recall the phones so
that the hazard no longer exists.