Health and safety information196requirements for hearing aids and wireless phonesso that that no interference occurs when a personuses a compatible phone and a compatible hearingaid at the same time. This standard was approvedby the IEEE in 2000.FDA continues to monitor the use of wirelessphones for possible interactions with other medicaldevices. Should harmful interference be found tooccur, FDA will conduct testing to assess theinterference and work to resolve the problem.10. What are the results of the research donealready?The research done thus far has produced conflictingresults, and many studies have suffered from flawsin their research methods. Animal experimentsinvestigating the effects of radiofrequency energy(RF) exposures characteristic of wireless phoneshave yielded conflicting results that often cannot berepeated in other laboratories. A few animalstudies, however, have suggested that low levels ofRF could accelerate the development of cancer inlaboratory animals. However, many of the studiesthat showed increased tumor development usedanimals that had been genetically engineered ortreated with cancer-causing chemicals so as to bepre-disposed to develop cancer in the absence of RFexposure. Other studies exposed the animals to RFfor up to 22 hours per day. These conditions are notsimilar to the conditions under which people usewireless phones, so we don t know with certaintywhat the results of such studies mean for humanhealth.Three large epidemiology studies have beenpublished since December 2000. Between them, thestudies investigated any possible associationbetween the use of wireless phones and primaryHealth and safety information197brain cancer, glioma, meningioma, or acousticneuroma, tumors of the brain or salivary gland,leukemia, or other cancers. None of the studiesdemonstrated the existence of any harmful healtheffects from wireless phone RF exposures. However,none of the studies can answer questions aboutlong-term exposures, since the average period ofphone use in these studies was around three years.11. What research is needed to decide whether RFexposure from wireless phones poses a health risk?A combination of laboratory studies andepidemiological studies of people actually usingwireless phones would provide some of the datathat are needed. Lifetime animal exposure studiescould be completed in a few years. However, verylarge numbers of animals would be needed toprovide reliable proof of a cancer promoting effect ifone exists. Epidemiological studies can provide datathat is directly applicable to human populations, but10 or more years follow-up may be needed toprovide answers about some health effects, such ascancer. This is because the interval between thetime of exposure to a cancer-causing agent and thetime tumors develop - if they do - may be many,many years. The interpretation of epidemiologicalstudies is hampered by difficulties in measuringactual RF exposure during day-to-day use ofwireless phones. Many factors affect thismeasurement, such as the angle at which thephone is held, or which model of phone is used.12. Which other federal agencies haveresponsibilities related to potential RF healtheffects?Additional information on the safety of RFexposures from various sources can be obtainedfrom the following organizations.