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studies,๎however,๎have๎suggested๎that๎low๎levels๎of๎RF๎could๎accelerate๎
the๎development๎of๎cancer๎in๎laboratory๎animals.๎However,๎many๎of๎the๎
studies๎that๎showed๎increased๎tumor๎development๎used๎animals๎that๎had๎
been๎genetically๎engineered๎or๎treated๎with๎cancer-causing๎chemicals๎so๎
as๎to๎be๎pre-disposed๎to๎develop๎cancer๎in๎the๎absence๎of๎RF๎exposure.๎
Other๎studies๎exposed๎the๎animals๎to๎RF๎for๎up๎to๎22๎hours๎per๎day.๎These๎
conditions๎are๎not๎similar๎to๎the๎conditions๎under๎which๎people๎use๎wireless๎
phones,๎so๎we๎do๎not๎know๎with๎certainty๎what๎the๎results๎of๎such๎studies๎
mean๎for๎human๎health.๎Three๎large๎epidemiology๎studies๎have๎been๎
published๎since๎December๎2000.๎Between๎them,๎the๎studies๎investigated๎
any๎possible๎association๎between๎the๎use๎of๎wireless๎phones๎and๎primary๎
brain๎cancer,๎glioma,๎meningioma,๎or๎acoustic๎neuroma,๎tumors๎of๎the๎
brain๎or๎salivary๎gland,๎leukemia,๎or๎other๎cancers.๎None๎of๎the๎studies๎
demonstrated๎the๎existence๎of๎any๎harmful๎health๎effects๎from๎wireless๎
phone๎RF๎exposures.๎However,๎none๎of๎the๎studies๎can๎answer๎questions๎
about๎long-term๎exposures,๎since๎the๎average๎period๎of๎phone๎use๎in๎these๎
studies๎was๎around๎three๎years.
5. What research is needed to decide whether RF exposure from
wireless phones poses a health risk?
A๎combination๎of๎laboratory๎studies๎and๎epidemiological๎studies๎of๎people๎
actually๎using๎wireless๎phones๎would๎provide๎some๎of๎the๎data๎that๎are๎
needed.๎Lifetime๎animal๎exposure๎studies๎could๎be๎completed๎in๎a๎few๎
years.๎However,๎very๎large๎numbers๎of๎animals๎would๎be๎needed๎to๎provide๎
reliable๎proof๎of๎a๎cancer๎promoting๎effect,๎if๎one๎exists.๎Epidemiological๎
studies๎can๎provide๎data๎that๎is๎directly๎applicable๎to๎human๎populations,๎
but๎ten๎or๎more๎years๎follow-up๎may๎be๎needed๎to๎provide๎answers๎about๎
some๎health๎effects,๎such๎as๎cancer.๎This๎is๎because๎the๎interval๎between๎
the๎time๎of๎exposure๎to๎a๎cancer-causing๎agent๎and๎the๎time๎tumors๎
develop๎-๎if๎they๎do๎-๎may๎be๎many,๎many๎years.๎The๎interpretation๎of๎
epidemiological๎studies๎is๎hampered๎by๎dif๎ฌculties๎in๎measuring๎actual๎RF๎
exposure๎during๎day-to-day๎use๎of๎wireless๎phones.๎Many๎factors๎affect๎
this๎measurement,๎such๎as๎the๎angle๎at๎which๎the๎phone๎is๎held,๎or๎which๎
model๎of๎phone๎is๎used.
6. What is the FDA doing to ๏ฌnd out more about the possible
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