The mobile phones/cancer link is back in the headlines thanks to the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). And as usual, some people are drawing erroneous conclusions.

 

The IARC, having just wrapped up a week-long panel reviewing the studies done so far looking at the possible effects of cell-phone radiation on users, stated that it has “classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, associated with wireless phone use.”

 

Cue the usual headlines with words like “warning” and “concern” and “risk”, as well as the usual rebuttals from mobile industry groups like the GSM Association and CTIA.

 

In reality – and as the GSMA and CTIA point out – the health risk of mobile phones hasn’t been proven to be any greater as a result of the IARC study, which evaluated existing research. The IARC’s conclusion was that there wasn’t enough evidence to draw a definite link between cell-phone usage and certain types of cancer like glioma and acoustic neuroma, but that there was enough evidence to classify cell phone RF under Group 2B in its risk classification system.

 

Here’s what Group 2B means (from the IARC press release):