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. 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, glioma, 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.
5. 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
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