Early exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields and cancer: complete evaluation of the Ramazzini Institute long-term carcinogenicity bioassays on Sprague-Dawley rats
Children with Cancer UK
Istituto Ramazzini
Humans in modern society are exposed to an ever-increasing number of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RFR). Key sources of RFR include mobile phones, wireless networks and base station antenna. Concern is expressed about possible health effects, particularly children appears to be more sensitive to RFR than adults due to their developing system. In 2011, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified RFR as “possibly carcinogenic” to humans (group 2B) based on epidemiological evidence of a positive association between exposure to RFR and nervous system tumours. In the meantime, both the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the Ramazzini Institute (RI) had already started a program to perform experimental studies on the health effects of RFR on rodents. The RI partial findings on far field exposure to RFR are consistent with and reinforce the results of the NTP study on near field exposure, as both reported an increase in the incidence of tumours of the brain and heart in RFR-exposed rats starting from prenatal life. Another carcinogenicity bioassay had been also performed by the RI to test the potential syn-carcinogenic effects of RFR in combination with gamma radiation. Up to now, the in vivo phase of both the RI ‘studies has been concluded and processing of tissues is still ongoing. In the present project, we aim to complete the histopathological evaluation of all the other tissues in order to provide sufficient evidence in experimental animals to call for the re-evaluation of IARC conclusions regarding the carcinogenic potential of RFR in humans.
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