March 28, 2018 (Last updated April 10)
Eleven experts convened by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) over a three day period to review the draft technical reports from the NTP’s cell phone radiation studies concluded that there is “clear evidence” that exposure to cell phone radiation caused a rare cancer in the hearts of male rats, and “there is equivocal evidence” in the hearts of female rats.
The expert panel also reported “some evidence” that cell phone radiation exposure caused brain cancer in male and female rats and cancer of the adrenal glands in male rats.
Additionally, “equivocal evidence” of cancer risk was reported in the pituitary, adrenal, and prostate glands and pancreas and liver in male rats and adrenal glands in female rats.
The mice in the study, exposed to a different cell phone radiation frequency than the rats (1800 MHz vs. 900 MHz), displayed less evidence of cancer risk. Equivocal evidence of cancer risk from cell phone radiation was reported for lymphoma in male and female mice. Equivocal evidence was also reported for skin, lung, and liver cancer in male mice.
In seven instances, the expert group upgraded the evaluations of evidence published by NTP staff in the draft technical reports. Thus, the NTP scientists appear to have been overly conservative in their assessment of the hazards of long-term exposure to cell phone radiation. According to a former NTP scientist, “There was never a time when so many upgrades were recommended.”
The following table based upon NTP’s official summary of actions compares the evaluations of evidence of carcinogenicity prepared by NTP staff with the expert committee’s findings. The two-page document which also contains the committee’s findings for nonneoplastic lesions can be be downloaded from
The presentations and oral public comments are available at the following link: http://bit.ly/2qmvtQg.
Definitions
Clear Evidence of Carcinogenic Activity is
demonstrated by studies that are interpreted as showing a dose-related (i)
increase of malignant neoplasms, (ii) increase of a combination of malignant
and benign neoplasms, or (iii) marked increase of benign neoplasms if there is
an indication from this or other studies of the ability of such tumors to
progress to malignancy.
Some Evidence of Carcinogenic Activity is
demonstrated by studies that are interpreted as showing a chemical-related
increased incidence of neoplasms (malignant, benign, or combined) in which the
strength of the response is less than that required for clear evidence.
Equivocal Evidence of Carcinogenic Activity is
demonstrated by studies that are interpreted as showing a marginal increase of
neoplasms that may be chemically related.
No Evidence of Carcinogenic Activity is
demonstrated by studies that are interpreted as showing no chemical-related
increases in malignant or benign neoplasms.
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/results/pubs/longterm/defs/index.html
Note: Although the definitions typically are applied to chemical
agents, NTP also uses them with physical agents like cell phone radiation.
March 16, 2018 (Updated March 25)
To view webcast of NTP review meeting on March 26-28 from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM EDT:
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/webcasts/cellphones_032618/
The National Toxicology Program (NTP) requested public comments about the two draft NTP Technical Reports on Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radiation. Due to a lag between when comments were submitted and posted to the NTP website, below are links to selected comments from scientists and environmental health organizations about the reports.
Public Comments: Scientists
George Carlo, PhD, The Science and Public Policy Institute
C.K. Chou, PhD, CK Chou Consulting
Lennart Hardell, MD, PhD, Michael Carlberg, MSc, University Hospital, Örebro, Sweden; Lena Hedendahl, MD, The Environment and Cancer Research Foundation
Magda Havas, PhD, Trent University
Ronald Melnick, PhD, Retired Senior Toxicologist, National Toxicology Program
Joel Moskowitz, PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Cindy Russell, MD, Physicians for Safe Technology
Public Comments: Organizations
Association Alerte Phonegate (Dr. Marc Arazi)
Environmental Working Group
More Information
Peer Review
The members of the two peer review committees for the NTP meeting have been announced.
David Eaton, PhD, University of Washington, Chair
Technical Panel 1: Reverberation Chamber Exposure System: Assess the reverberation chamber technology for evaluating the effects of cell phone radiofrequency radiation exposure in rats and mice.
Members:
Frank Barnes, PhD, University of Colorado Boulder
Asimini Kiourti, PhD, Ohio State University
James Lin, PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago
Technical Panel 2: NTP Findings in Rats and Mice: (1) Review and evaluate the scientific and technical elements of the study and its presentation; (2) Determine whether the study’s experimental design, conduct, and findings support the NTP’s conclusions regarding the carcinogenic activity and toxicity of the test agent.
Members:
Rick Adler, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Glaxo Smith Kline
Lydia Andrews-Jones, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Allergan, Inc,
J. Mark Cline, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Wake Forest School of Medicine
George Corcoran, PhD, ATS, Wayne State University
Susan Felter, PhD, Proctor & Gamble
Jack Harkema, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Michigan State University
Wolfgang Kaufmann, DVM, PhD, DECVP, Fellow
IATP, Merck (retired)
Tyler Malys, PhD, National Cancer Institute
Kamala Pant, MS, BioReliance
Matthias Rinke, DVM, PhD, FTA Pathology,
CVP, Fellow IATP, Bayer Pharma (retired)
Laurence Whiteley, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Pfizer
Jan 29, 2018 (Updated Jan 31, 2018)
The following
information was excerpted from the Federal Register.
29, 2018, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) announced a meeting to peer
review two draft NTP Technical Reports on Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radiation.
These reports present the results of NTP studies conducted to evaluate the
impact of cell phone radiofrequency radiation exposure in mice and rats.
peer-review meeting will be held at the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, NC and is open to the
public. Registration is requested for attendance at the meeting either
in-person or by webcast and to present oral comments. Information about the
meeting and registration will be available at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/36051.
2018, 8:30 a.m. to adjournment on March 28, 2018, at approximately 5:00 p.m.
Eastern Daylight Time. The preliminary agenda will be available at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/36051
and will be updated one week before the meeting.
Public Comment Submissions: March 12, 2018
for Oral Comments: March 12, 2018
to Attend Meeting In-person: March 28, 2018
telecommunications is a rapidly evolving technology that uses radiofrequency
energy or radiation for mobile communication. According to a 2016 survey, 95
percent of American adults now use cell phones. Given such broad use, adverse
health effects shown to be associated with cell phone use could be a widespread
public health concern.
and Drug Administration (FDA) nominated cell phone radiofrequency radiation for
NTP study because (a) widespread human exposure is possible, (b) current
exposure guidelines are based largely on protection from acute injury due to
thermal effects, (c) little is known about the potential health effects of
long-term exposure to radiofrequency radiation, and (d) currently available
human studies have found limited evidence of an increased risk of cancer from
cell phone use.
in rats and mice the effects of exposure to cell phone radiofrequency radiation
from two system modulations: Global System for Mobile Communications and Code
Division Multiple Access. NTP released the “Report of Partial Findings from the
National Toxicology Program Carcinogenesis Studies of Cell Phone Radiofrequency
Radiation in Hsd: Sprague Dawley SD Rats (Whole Body Exposure)” in May 2016 (https://doi.org/10.1101/055699).
The partial findings will be included in the draft NTP technical report for
rats. The two draft NTP technical reports present results for all NTP studies
on rats and mice on the toxicity and carcinogenicity of cell phone-emitted
radiofrequency radiation.
Comment Registration
deadline for submission of written comments is March 12, 2018. Written public comments should be
submitted through the meeting website. Persons submitting written comments
should include name, affiliation, mailing address, phone, email, and sponsoring
organization (if any). Written comments received in response to this notice
will be posted on the NTP website, and the submitter will be identified by
name, affiliation, and sponsoring organization (if any). Comments that address
scientific or technical issues will be forwarded to the peer-review panel and
NTP staff prior to the meeting.
is on or before March 12, 2018,
at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/36051.
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis, and registrants will be
assigned a number in their confirmation email. Oral comments may be presented in
person at NIEHS or by teleconference line. The access number for the
teleconference line will be provided to registrants by email prior to the
meeting. Each organization is allowed one time slot per comment period. The
agenda allows for two public comment periods: The first comment period on the
exposure system (12 commenters, up to 5 minutes per speaker), and the second
comment period on the NTP findings in rats and mice (24 commenters, up to 5
minutes per speaker). After the maximum number of speakers per comment period
is exceeded, individuals registered to provide oral comment will be placed on a
wait list and notified should an opening become available. Commenters will be
notified after March 12, 2018, the deadline to register for oral public comments,
about the actual time allotted per speaker.
possible, oral public commenters should send a copy of their slides and/or
statement or talking points to Canden Byrd by email: [email protected] by March 12, 2018.
Information on NTP Peer-Review Panels
NTP panels are technical, scientific advisory bodies to provide independent scientific peer
review. These panels help ensure transparent, unbiased, and scientifically
rigorous input to the program. Scientists interested in serving on an NTP
panel should provide their current curriculum vitae to Canden Byrd by email: [email protected].