Université de Montréal is participating in the biggest epidemiological
study ever conducted on the presumed carcinogenic effects of radio
frequencies produced by cell phones.

The study spans 13 countries and involves more than 10,000 mobile phoneusers who show symptoms of cancer. “Our study will determine whetherthere is a statistical link between the use of telephones and four kindsof cancer, including brain cancer,” explains Jack Siemiatycki, directorof the Research Chair in Environmental Epidemiology and Public Health,and head of the Montréal segment of the study, which is being conducted in parallel with groups in Ottawa and Vancouver. A specialist in epidemiological methodology, Jack Siemiatycki is one of Canada’s leading experts in exogenous causes of cancer, especially in the work
environment.

The research, coordinated by the International Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC) (part of the World Health Organization), started in
January 2000 and will continue for four years. “The time was ripe to
launch this sort of study,” Dr. Siemiatycki notes. “Earlier than this,
the latency period, i.e., the time between exposure to radio frequencies
and the supposed development of cancer, would have been too short.

Later than this, the technology would have been too widespread in society for us to be able to select quality control groups, i.e., groups of
individuals who are completely non cell phone users.” It is estimated that over the past decade, the number of mobile phone users worldwide has grown from less than 1 million to close to 200 million. Yet, to date, only a few meaningful studies have looked at the health impact of this new communications technology. One of them, involving 800 subjects, was conducted at the National Institutes of Health in the US. A Swedish study looked at 219 people. Neither case showed a statistically significant association between cancer and wireless phones. “However, another study showed an increase in the incidence of lymphomas, associated with radio frequencies, in a strain of mice that are genetically predisposed to developing this type of cancer. Still, these observations cannot easily be extrapolated to human cancers for the time being,” the epidemiologist adds.

What is known about the radio frequencies produced by cell phones? “The source of very low intensity radio frequencies is the internal antenna
in these devices, which receives and sends voice signals,” Dr.
Siemiatycki explains. “The antenna’s range covers a very small part of
the head, which corresponds to a volume of 5 cubic centimetres. But here
again, a number of variables can influence the rate of exposure: the
type of cell technology used (analog or digital), equipment design,
indoor or outdoor use, etc. Each has consequences for exposure levels,
but their cumulative effect is still beyond our understanding.”

Researcher: Jack Siemiatycki
Telephone: (514) 890-8166
Email: j.siemiatycki@umontreal.ca