Survival and Cancer in Laboratory Mammals Exposed to Radiofrequency Energy

Abstract

This article is a review of the effects of radiofrequency (RF) energy on (1) survival and (2) cancer in the same animal populations having survival data. The literature consisted of 18 studies with survival data, and 16 of these have information on cancer. In one study, a significant decrease in lifespan was observed at 6.8 W/kg but not at 2 W/kg. Thermal stress appears to be the causal factor for the effect on lifespan because the higher dose rate, unlike the lower dose rate, was estimated to increase body temperature significantly. The finding that the lower level was without effect is consistent with the results of a number of recent studies showing that long term, low level exposure to RF energy did not affect survival adversely. Many of these recent studies addressed the cancer issue by histopathological analysis of many organs and tissues following exposure up to 2 years, the average lifetime of rats and mice. Some investigations examined the effect of RF fields from mobile phones on brain cancer, including the progression of chemically induced brain cancer. The results demonstrate that RF exposure did not adversely affect cancer incidence at whole body specific absorption rates (SARs) ≤4 W/kg and brain SARs ≤2.3 W/kg. The weight-of-evidence of these 18 studies shows that long term, low level exposure to RF energy does not adversely affect survival and cancer in laboratory mammals. © 2003 Wiley-Liss. Inc.