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FDA has tested hearing aids for interference from handheld
wireless phones and helped develop a voluntary standard
sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers (IEEE). This standard specifies test methods and
performance requirements for hearing aids and wireless
phones so that no interference occurs when a person uses a
compatible phone and a compatible hearing aid at the same
time. This standard was approved by the IEEE in 2000.
FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for
possible interactions with other medical devices. Should
harmful interference be found to occur, FDA will conduct
testing to assess the interference and work to resolve the
problem.
10.What are the results of the research done already?
The research done thus far has produced conflicting results,
and many studies have suffered from flaws in their research
methods. Animal experiments investigating the effects of
radio frequency energy (RF) exposures characteristic of
wireless phones have yielded conflicting results that often
cannot be repeated in other laboratories. A few animal
studies, however, have suggested that low levels of RF could
accelerate the development of cancer in laboratory animals.
However, many of the studies that showed increased tumor
development used animals that had been genetically
engineered or treated with cancer causing chemicals so as to
be pre-disposed to develop cancer in the absence of RF
exposure. Other studies exposed the animals to RF for up to
22 hours per day. These conditions are not similar to the
conditions under which people use wireless phones, so we
don t know with certainty what the results of such studies
mean for human health.
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Three large epidemiology studies have been published since
December 2000. Between them, the studies investigated any
possible association between the use of wireless phones and
primary brain cancer, gioma, meningioma, or acoustic
neuroma, tumors of the brain or salivary gland, leukemia, or
other cancers. None of the studies demonstrated the
existence of any harmful health effects from wireless phone
RF exposures. However, none of the studies can answer
questions about long-term exposures, since the average
period of phone use in these studies was around three years.
11.What research is needed to decide whether RF exposure
from wireless phones poses a health risk?
A combination of laboratory studies and epidemiological
studies of people actually using wireless phones would
provide some of the data that are needed. Lifetime animal
exposure studies could be completed in a few years. However,
very large numbers of animals would be needed to provide
reliable proof of a cancer promoting effect if one exists.
Epidemiological studies can provide data that is directly
applicable to human populations, but 10 or more years follow-
up may be needed to provide answers about some health
effects, such as cancer. This is because the interval between
the time of exposure to a cancer-causing agent and the time
tumors develop - if they do - may be many, many years. The
interpretation of epidemiological studies is hampered by
difficulties in measuring actual RF exposure during day-to-day
use of wireless phones. Many factors affect this
measurement, such as the angle at which the phone is held,
or which model of phone is used.
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