Environmental Health Perspectives 105, Supplement 6, December 1997

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Radiofrequency Field Exposure and Cancer: What Do the Laboratory Studies Suggest?

Michael H. Repacholi

World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland

Abstract
Significant concern has been raised about possible health effects from exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields, especially after the rapid introduction of mobile telecommunications systems. Parents are especially concerned with the possibility that children might develop cancer after exposure to the RF emissions from mobile telephone base stations erected in or near schools. These questions have followed scientific reports suggesting that residence near high voltage power lines may to be associated with an increased childhood leukemia risk. Epidemiologic studies have been plagued by poor RF exposure assessment and differences in methodology. There are no high-quality epidemiologic studies that can be used to evaluate health risks from RF exposure. Laboratory studies in this area have been somewhat confusing. Some animal studies suggest that RF fields accelerate the development of sarcoma colonies in the lung, mammary tumors, skin tumors, hepatomas, and sarcomas. A substantial RF-induced increase in lymphoma incidence in transgenic mice exposed for up to 18 months has also been reported. In contrast, other studies have not found carcinogenic effects. These conflicting results indicate the need for more well-conducted studies on laboratory animals, supplemented with high-quality in vitro studies to identify effects that need further research in vivo, and to characterize any acting mechanisms, especially at low RF field levels. This paper provides a review of the laboratory studies and indicates what conclusions about RF-induced cancer can be drawn. -- Environ Health Perspect 105(Suppl 6):1565-1568 (1997)

Key words: radiofrequency fields, cancer, health effects, laboratory studies

This paper is based on a presentation at the International Conference on Radiation and Health held 3-7 November 1996 in Beer Sheva, Israel. Abstracts of these papers were previously published in Public Health Reviews 24(3-4):205-431 (1996). Manuscript received at EHP 7 April 1997; accepted 27 June 1997.

Address correspondence to Dr. M.H. Repacholi, Radiation Protection and Global Hazards Assessment, Office of Global and Integrated Environmental Health, World Health Organization, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland. Telephone: 41 22 791 3427. Fax: 41 22 791 4123. E-mail: repacholim@who.ch

Abbreviations: CW, continuous wave; NIR, nonionizing radiations; ODC, ornithine decarboxylase; RF, radiofrequency; SAR, specific absorption rate; TPA, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.

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