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IARC CLASSIFIES RADIOFREQUENCY ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AS
POSSIBLY CARCINOGENIC TO HUMANS
IARC, 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372 Lyon CEDEX 08, France - Tel: +33 (0)4 72 73 84 85 - Fax: +33 (0)4 72 73 85 75
© IARC 2011 - All Rights Reserved.
Results
The evidence was reviewed critically, and overall evaluated as being limited
2
among users of
wirelesstelephonesforgliomaandacousticneuroma,andinadequate
3
todrawconclusionsfor
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,onestudyofpastcellphoneuse(uptotheyear2004),showeda40%increased
risk for gliomas in the highest category of heavy users (reported average: 30 minutes per day
overa10‐yearperiod).
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 andthe 2Bclassification. The conclusionmeans thatthere could besome risk,and
thereforeweneedtokeepaclosewatchforalinkbetweencellphonesandcancerrisk."
"Giventhepotentialconsequencesforpublichealthofthisclassificationandfindings,"saidIARC
DirectorChristopherWild,"itisimportantthatadditionalresearchbeconductedintothelong‐
term,heavyuse ofmobile phones. Pendingthe availabilityof suchinformation, itisimportant
totakepragmaticmeasurestoreduceexposuresuchashands‐freedevicesortexting."
TheWorkingGroupconsideredhundredsofscientificarticles;thecompletelistwillbepublished
in the Monograph. It is noteworthy to mention that several recent in‐press scientific articles
4
resultingfromtheInterphonestudyweremadeavailabletotheworkinggroupshortlybeforeit
wasduetoconvene,reflectingtheiracceptanceforpublicationatthattime,andwereincluded
intheevaluation.
A concise report summarizing the main conclusions of the IARC Working Group and the
evaluations of the carcinogenic hazard from radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (including
theuseofmobiletelephones)willbepublishedinTheLancetOncologyinitsJuly1issue,andin
afewdaysonline.
2
'Limitedevidence of carcinogenicity': A positive association hasbeen observedbetween exposure to the agent
andcancerforwhichacausalinterpretationisconsideredbytheWorkingGrouptobecredible,butchance,biasor
confoundingcouldnotberuledoutwithreasonableconfidence.
3
'Inadequateevidenceofcarcinogenicity':Theavailablestudiesareofinsufficientquality,consistencyorstatistical
power to permit a conclusion regarding the presence or absence of a causal association between exposure and
cancer,ornodataoncancerinhumansareavailable.
4
a. 'Acoustic neuroma risk in relation to mobile telephone use: results of the INTERPHONE international case‐
controlstudy'(theInterphoneStudyGroup,inCancerEpidemiology,inpress)
b. 'Estimation of RF energy absorbed in the brain from mobile phones in the Interphone study' (Cardis et al.,
OccupationalandEnvironmentalMedicine,inpress)
c. 'Risk of brain tumours in relation to estimated RF dose from mobile phones – results from five Interphone
countries'(Cardisetal.,OccupationalandEnvironmentalMedicine,inpress)
d.'LocationofGliomasinRelationtoMobileTelephoneUse:ACase‐CaseandCase‐SpecularAnalysis'(American
JournalofEpidemiology,May24,2011.[Epubaheadofprint].