The debate over whether cellphones cause brain cancer was reignited this week.
That’s because a group of global experts, a panel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Tuesday said that cellphone use may heighten the risk for brain cancer. IARC is part of the World Health Organization, and its panel reviewed past studies to come to its own conclusion.
The panel announced that cellphones may increase the risk for glioma, a form of brain cancer, and acoustic neuroma, a non-malignant brain tumor.
http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2011/pdfs/pr208_E.pdf
In IRAC’s press release, Dr. Jonathan Samet , who is with the University of Southern California and is overall chairman of the panel, stated that “the evidence, while still accumulating, is strong enough to support a conclusion and the 2B classification. The conclusion means that there could be some risk, and therefore we need to keep a close watch for a link between cell phones and cancer risk.”
The 2B classification includes chloroform, coffee and gasoline exhaust, and here is the complete explanation of that classification.
Group 2B: The agent is possibly carcinogenic to humans
“This category is used for agents for which there is limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and less than sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals. It may also be used when there is inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity in humans but there is sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals.
In some instances, an agent for which there is inadequate evidence of carcinogenicity in humans and less than sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals together with supporting evidence from mechanistic and other relevant data may be placed in this group. An agent may be classified in this category solely on the basis of strong evidence from mechanistic and other relevant data.”
IRAC’s press release sparked a quick response from the telecom industry, the maker of cellphones, which said that evidence of their causing brain cancer remains inconclusive.
Even the IRAC said that more research is needed.
“Given the potential consequences for public health of this classification and findings, it is important that additional research be conducted into the long‐term, heavy use of mobile phones,” IARC director Christopher Wild said in a statement. “Pending the availability of such information, it is important to take pragmatic measures to reduce exposure such as hands‐free devices or texting.”