Motorola 4500 Manual page 38

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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.
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In summary, 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.
W W h h a a t t i i s s k k n n o o w w n n a a b b o o u u t t c c a a s s e e s s o o f f h h u u m m a a n n c c a a n n c c e e r r t t h h a a t t
h h a a v v e e b b e e e e n n r r e e p p o o r r t t e e d d i i n n u u s s e e r r s s o o f f h h a a n n d d - - h h e e l l d d m m o o b b i i l l e e
p p h h o o n n e e s s ? ?
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 month), 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
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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.
W W h h a a t t i i s s F F D D A A ' ' s s r r o o l l e e c c o o n n c c e e r r n n i i n n g g t t h h e e s s a a f f e e t t y y o o f f m m o o b b i i l l e e
p p h h o o n n e e s s ? ?
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.
Although the existing scientific data do not justify
FDA regulatory actions at this time, FDA has urged
the mobile phone industry to take a number of steps
to assure public safety. The agency has
recommended that the industry:
• support needed research into possible biological
effects of RF of the type emitted by mobile phones;
• design mobile phones in a way that minimizes any
RF exposure to the user that is not necessary for
device function; and
• cooperate in providing mobile phone users with the
best possible information on what is known about
possible effects of mobile phone use on human
health.
At the same time, FDA belongs to an interagency
working group of the federal agencies that have
responsibility for different aspects of mobile phone
safety to ensure a coordinated effort at the federal
level. These agencies are:
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