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Publicly And Privately Stated Wireless Radiation Health Position Of
The United States Food And Drug Administration
 

The following report appeared on the front page of the January/February 2003 issue of Microwave News.

1993 Internal FDA Memo
Data “Strongly Suggest” Microwaves Can Promote Cancer

In the spring of 1993 at the height of public concern over cell phone–brain tumor risks, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) biologists concluded that the available data “strongly suggest” that microwaves can “accelerate the development of cancer.” This assessment is in an internal agency memo recently obtained by Microwave News under the Freedom of Information Act.

“Of approximately eight chronic animal experiments known to us, five resulted in increased numbers of malignancies, accelerated progression of tumors, or both,” wrote Drs. Mays Swicord and Larry Cress of FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) in Rockville, MD. They also pointed to other evidence from laboratory (in vitro) studies that supported a cancer risk.

But in a letter submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives four year later during May 1997, the FDA stated "Little is known about the possible health effects of repeated or long-term exposure to low levels of radiofrequency radiation (RF R) of the types emitted by wireless communications devices."

And again in February, 2000, the FDA issued a Nomination reiterating their position, stating "There is currently insufficient scientific basis for concluding either that wireless communication technologies are safe or that they pose a risk to millions of users. A significant research effort  involving large well-planned animal experiments is needed to provide the basis to assess the risk to human health of wireless communications devices."

Dr. Swicord joined Motorola after leaving the FDA and is also the Chief Editor on the editorial staff of BEMS (BioElectro-Magnetics Society).

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