[CORRECTION: In 7th to last graph “glass wool” dropped, as IARC reclassifed from “possibly carcinogenic” to “not classifiable”] Mobile phone users may be at increased risk from brain cancer and should use texting and hands-free devices to reduce exposure, the World Health Organisation‘s cancer experts said.
Radio-frequency electromagnetic fields generated by such devices are “possibly carcinogenic to humans,” the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced at the end of an eight-day meeting in Lyon, France, on Tuesday.
Experts “reached this classification based on review of the human evidence coming from epidemiological studies” pointing to an increased incidence of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, said Jonathan Samet, president of the work group.
Two studies in particular, the largest conducted over the past decade, showed a higher risk “in those that had the most intensive use of such phones,” he said in a telephone news conference….
Industry groups however played down the findings.
Global industry group CTIA-The Wireless Association said the UN agency “conducts numerous reviews and in the past has given the same score to, for example, pickled vegetables and coffee”.
It said that “limited evidence from statistical studies can be found even though bias and other data flaws may be the basis for the results.”
The French Federation of Telecoms said the health ministry there already took a precautionary approach, but no danger had been conclusively established and more research was needed.
Some consumer advocacy groups however said the new classification was overdue.
“As of today, no one can say the risk does not exist, and now everyone – politicians, telecoms, employers, consumers and parents – have to take this into account,” said Janine Le Calvez, head of PRIARTEM, a consumer advocacy group concerned with cell phone safety.