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World Health Organization Scientists Recommend Wireless Be Upgraded For Cancer Causing Effects

Jan 3, 2021

In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO)  International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)  classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer1, associated with wireless phone use” as stated in the 2011 Press Release by the WHO IARC. Since that date the several new studies have found associations between cell phone radiation and cancer.

Since 2011, the scientific evidence linking wireless to cancer has significantly increased and today several published reviews include that the current body of evidence indicates cell phone radiation is proven Group 1 human carcinogen (Miller et al 2018, Peleg et al 2018 Carlberg and Hardell 2017, Belpomme et al 2018).

The WHO/IARC advisory committee released a 2020 report  recommending wireless radiation be re-evaluated by 2024 as a  “high priority.”  

Read the report here https://monographs.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IARCMonographs-AGReport-Priorities_2020-2024.pdf

Today, many scientists who participated in the  WHO/IARC determination are speaking out with their new opinion that the scientific evidence has substantially increased to where the determination of “possibly carcinogenic” is no longer sufficient. They state that the weight of evidence is substantial enough to conclude that cell phone radiation is a probable and /or confirmed cause of human cancer.

Statements by Scientists who participated in the International Agency for Research on Cancer RF-EMF 2011 Review of Radiofrequency Radiation 

Dr. Lennart Hardell 

“We conclude that there is clear evidence that RF radiation is a human carcinogen, causing glioma and vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma). There is some evidence of an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer, and clear evidence that RF radiation is a multi‑site carcinogen. Based on the Preamble to the IARC Monographs, RF radiation should be classified as carcinogenic to humans, Group 1.”

-Dr. Lennart Hardell in “Comments on the US National Toxicology Program technical reports on toxicology and carcinogenesis study in rats exposed to whole-body radiofrequency radiation at 900 MHz and in mice exposed to whole-body radiofrequency radiation at 1,900 MHz”  published in the International Journal of Oncology

Dr. Lennart Hardell, a medical doctor and oncologist known for his research on environmental cancer-causing agents such as Agent Orange has repeatedly published studies documenting the scientific evidence confirming that radiofrequency radiation is carcinogenic. 

 

Chris Portier PhD

In 2021, Chris Portier PhD submitted a comprehensive review of the scientific research in a major cell phone/brain cancer lawsuit  where he concludes that “The evidence on an association between cellular phone use and the risk of glioma in adults is quite strong” and “In my opinion, RF exposure probably causes gliomas and neuromas and, given the human, animal and experimental evidence, I assert that, to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty, the probability that RF exposure causes gliomas and neuromas is high.”

 

Dr. Portier’s 176-page expert report  with 443 references was prepared for the plaintiffs in a major product liability lawsuit, Murray et al. v Motorola, Inc. et al., filed in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia against the telecommunications industry. The plaintiffs in the case are sueing the telecommunications industry for damages because they developed brain cancer after years of using a cell phone up to their head. Most of the plaintiffs have passed away. Court dates are set for Murray et al. v. Motorola July 12-23, 2021.

“Educational and public health institutions should be encouraged to reduce exposures, especially of young children, to RF devices…A careful review of the scientific literature demonstrates there are potentially dangerous effects from RF” 

– Chris Portier PhD in his scientific presentation and official call for invoking the precautionary principle during the 2015 BIOEM Conference. 

Chris Portier PhD was the Director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta and the Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Prior to CDC, Dr. Portier was with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for 32 years where he served as the NIEHS Associate Director, Director of the Environmental Toxicology Program, and Associate Director of the National Toxicology Program, and Senior Scientific Advisor to the Director. 

Dariusz Leszczynski PhD

“In my opinion, the currently available scientific evidence is sufficient to upgrade the carcinogenicity of cell phone radiation from the possible carcinogen (Group 2B) to the probable carcinogen (Group 2A)”

“Precautionary Principle should be implemented as broadly as possible and feasible…Whenever possible and feasible, wired connections should be promoted over wireless.” 

-Dariusz Leszczynski PhD in his 2015 lecture to officials in Serbia. 

Dariusz Leszczynski PhD is a former Finnish government researcher with numerous publications on RFR who now lectures widely on the urgent need for the precautionary principle. 

 

Igor Belyaev PhD 

“The NTP findings along with recent replicated animal studies from Germany [47], supplemented other studies and provided sufficient evidence for carcinogenicity of mobile phone exposure in animals. Studies with chronic exposures have also provided evidence for possible mechanisms of MW effects, which involve production of reactive oxygen/nitrogene species. Taking into account the evidence from human epidemiological studies, MW exposure from mobile phones was suggested to be classified as human carcinogen according to the generally accepted Bradford Hill criteria.”

Igor Belyaev in Main Regularities and Health Risks from Exposure to Non-Thermal Microwaves of Mobile Communication

Igor Belyaev is the Head Research Scientist at the Cancer Research Institute at the Slovak Academy of Science in Bratislava, Slovakia and has published numerous studies on the non thermal effects of RFR.     

Dr. Anthony Miller 

“Based on the evidence reviewed it is our opinion that IARC’s current categorization of RFR as a possible human carcinogen (Group 2B) should be upgraded to Carcinogenic to Humans (Group 1).”

-Dr. Anthony Miller “Cancer epidemiology update, following the 2011 IARC evaluation of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (Monograph 102)” published in  Environmental Research,

Dr. Anthony Miller has hundreds of publications and has four decades of expertise with the WHO IARC. He was assistant Executive Director (Epidemiology), National Cancer Institute of Canada, Director, National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group, Toronto, Director, Epidemiology Unit, National Cancer Institute of Canada, Toronto, Chairman, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, University of Toronto and more. 

 

Ronald Melnick PhD

“The NTP studies show that the assumption that RF radiation is incapable of causing cancer or other adverse health effects other than by tissue heating is wrong.”

Ronald Melnick PhD in “Regarding ICNIRP’S Evaluation of the National Toxicology Program’s Carcinogenicity Studies on Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields” published  in Health Physics 

Ronald Melnick PhD  served as a toxicologist for 28+ years at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program (NTP), before retiring in 2009.  At NTP/NIEHS, Dr. Melnick was involved in the design, monitoring and interpretation of toxicology and carcinogenesis studies of numerous environmental and occupational agents including 1,3-butadiene, chloroprene, isoprene, water disinfection byproducts, etc. He led the design of the NTP carcinogenicity studies of cell phone radiofrequency radiation in rodents.

James C. Lin PhD

“The time is right for the IARC to upgrade its previous epidemiology based classification of RF exposure to higher levels in terms of the carcinogenicity of RF radiation for humans. Recently, two relatively well-conducted RF and microwave exposure studies employing the Sprague–Dawley strain of rats—without, however, using any cancer-promoting agents (or cocarcinogens)—showed consistent results in significantly increased total primary cancer or overall tumor rates in animals exposed to RF radiation.” 

James C. Lin PhD in The Significance of Primary Tumors in the NTP Study of Chronic Rat Exposure to Cell Phone Radiation published in IEEE Microwave Magazine 

James C. Lin PhD is Editor in Chief of  Bioelectromagnetics and has numerous publications on RFR and electromagnetic radiation. He has served in numerous leadership capacities including the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science. He was awarded the d’Arsonval Medal Award of the Bioelectromagnetics Society  in 2003. 

 

World Health Organization International Agency for the Research on Cancer’s Position on Wireless and Health

In 2011 wireless radiation  was classified as a “Possible Human Carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The World Health Organization International Agency for the Research on cancer recommends reducing exposure to radio frequency radiation (RFR) from cell phones.  There are also expert advisors of the  World Health Organization who are making clear statements that radiofrequency radiation is a carcinogen backed by scientific evidence.  On this page we have the documentation of the statements and videos of the World Health organization experts speaking. 

As of 2019, the WHO IARC advisory committee recommends a reevaluation.

Due to the publishing of  new research ( Hardell and Carlberg 2017,  Miller et al. 2018 Coureau et al., 2014 , Lerchl 2015, Falcioni et al.2018) over the last decade,  the WHO/IARC advisory committee released a report last year recommending wireless radiation be re-evaluated by 2024 as a  “high priority.”  

Read the report here https://monographs.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IARCMonographs-AGReport-Priorities_2020-2024.pdf

Almost a decade ago, at the WHO IARC press conference in 2011, IARC Director Christopher Wild advised in the IARC press Release that people start taking precautions to reduce exposures to cellphone radiation, “Given the potential consequences for public health of this classification and findings it is important that additional research be conducted into the long‐term, heavy use of mobile phones. Pending the availability of such information, it is important to take pragmatic measures to reduce exposure such as hands‐free devices or texting.” 

It is important to note that the World Health Organization International Agency for the Research on Cancer is a different entity than the World Health Organization EMF Project. The EMF Project was started with industry money and has been criticized for lack of transparency and deep roots to industry. As an example, we are not informed as to who writes the factsheets  and content and when asked, there is no response.  The one paid staff member on the EMF Project is an engineer who has a history of support by wireless companies.

 

However the World Health Organization International Agency for the Research on Cancer EMF Working group for the evaluation of RFR was vetted for conflicts of interest and is considered the gold standard for evaluating carcinogens. On this page we present the information from this body of the World Health Organization. 

World Health Organization International Agency for the Research on Cancer’s Position on Wireless and Health

In 2011 wireless radiation  was classified as a “Possible Human Carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The World Health Organization International Agency for the Research on cancer recommends reducing exposure to radio frequency radiation (RFR) from cell phones.  There are also expert advisors of the  World Health Organization who are making clear statements that radiofrequency radiation is a carcinogen backed by scientific evidence.  On this page we have the documentation of the statements and videos of the World Health organization experts speaking. 

Today, numerous scientists who served as advisors to the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization EMF Working Group state the evidence on cancer has increased and wireless is a probable or proven carcinogen. 

Since 2011, the scientific evidence linking wireless to cancer has significantly increased and today several published reviews include that the current body of evidence indicates cell phone radiation is proven Group 1 human carcinogen (Miller et al 2018, Peleg et al 2018Carlberg and Hardell 2017, Belpomme et al 2018)  

  • A  2020 metanalysis found that cell phone users cumulative cell phone use over 1000 hours statistically significantly increased tumor risk (Choi et al 2020).  
  • A French government study found people with a life long wireless phone usage of about half an hour a day for 5 years was associated with a statistically significant increase of risk of tumors (Coureau et al., 2014). 
  • Research has found  women who carry cellphones in the bra have elevated breast cancer risk (West et al 2013, Shih et al 2020). 
  • A Yale study funded by the American Cancer Society found elevated thyroid cancer risk in heavy cell phone users with specific genetic susceptibilities (Luo et al. 2020).
  • Two large scale animal studies found increased tumors from wireless exposure (Falconi, 2018; NTP, 2018) and the tumor types found in these animal studies are similar to those associated with the use of wireless phones in human epidemiological studies (Hardell, 2018).  

As of 2019, the WHO IARC advisory committee recommends a reevaluation to determine carcinogenicity. 

Due to the publishing of  new research ( Hardell and Carlberg 2017,  Miller et al. 2018 Coureau et al., 2014 , Lerchl 2015, Falcioni et al.2018) over the last decade,  the WHO/IARC advisory committee released a report last year recommending wireless radiation be re-evaluated by 2024 as a  “high priority.”  

Read the report here https://monographs.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/IARCMonographs-AGReport-Priorities_2020-2024.pdf