Samsung SCH-T300 User Manual

Page 167

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developed more than twice as many such cancers when they were exposed to RF energy
compared to controls. There is much uncertainty among scientists about whether results
obtained from animal studies apply to the use of mobile phones. First, it is uncertain how
to apply the results obtained in rats and mice to humans. Second, many of the studies
that showed increased tumor development used animals that had already been treated
with cancer-causing chemicals, and other studies exposed the animals to the RF virtually
continuously--up to 22 hours per day.

For the past five years in the United States, the mobile phone industry has supported
research into the safety of mobile phones. This research has resulted in two findings in
particular that merit additional study:

1.In a hospital-based, case-control study, researchers looked for an association between
mobile phone use and either glioma (a type of brain cancer) or acoustic neuroma (a
benign tumor of the nerve sheath). No statistically significant association was found
between mobile phone use and acoustic neuroma. There was also no association
between mobile phone use and gliomas when all types of types of gliomas were
considered together. It should be noted that the average length of mobile phone
exposure in this study was less than three years.

When 20 types of glioma were considered separately, however, an association was found
between mobile phone use and one rare type of glioma, neuroepithelliomatous tumors.
It is possible with multiple comparisons of the same sample that this association
occurred by chance. Moreover, the risk did not increase with how often the mobile
phone was used, or the length of the calls. In fact, the risk actually decreased with
cumulative hours of mobile phone use. Most cancer causing agents increase risk with
increased exposure. An ongoing study of brain cancers by the National Cancer Institute is
expected to bear on the accuracy and repeatability of these results.

2.Researchers conducted a large battery of laboratory tests to assess the effects of
exposure to mobile phone RF on genetic material. These included tests for several kinds
of abnormalities, including mutations, chromosomal aberrations, DNA strand breaks,
and structural changes in the genetic material of blood cells called lymphocytes. None of
the tests showed any effect of the RF except for the micronucleus assay, which detects
structural effects on the genetic material. The cells in this assay showed changes after
exposure to simulated cell phone radiation, but only after 24 hours of exposure. It is
possible that exposing the test cells to radiation for this long resulted in heating. Since
this assay is known to be sensitive to heating, heat alone could have caused the
abnormalities to occur. The data already in the literature on the response of the
micronucleus assay to RF are conflicting. Thus, follow-up research is necessary.

FDA is currently working with government, industry, and academic groups to ensure the
proper follow-up to these industry-funded research findings. Collaboration with the

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