emf & cancer

EMF and Cancer Risk:A Scientific perspective

Dr.Chinnababu Sunkavalli MS,Mch,PDCR,FIAGES

Robotic Surgical Oncologist, Apollo Hospitals

Copyright - Grace Cancer Foundation, 2014

Everyone is talking!

People deserve the truth


AGENDA What is EMF?

What is Cancer?

Review of Literature

Scientific Evidence

Recommendations

Myths

Conclusion


ELECTRO

MAGNETIC FIELD/ RADIO WAVES

Radio signals (are a form of electromagnetic field) are part of everyday life, emitted both by;

Natural sources like the sun, the Earth and ionosphere

Artificial sources such as

House hold items - TV, Radio, Computer, Refrigerator etc

Broadcast towersRadar facilitiesMobile phone base stations


BIOLOGICAL

EFFECTS

OF RF ELECTRO

MAGNETIC

ENERGY

Biological Effect is the physical alteration that occurs within an organism following an exposure that causes a measurable change in biology.

A health hazard is a biological effect that is above the normal range of the organism’s ability to respond and rectify the effect, therefore being detrimental to health.

The induction of electrical currents, producing heat isknown to occur from RF fields. In very high fields of RFEME, the body can absorb sufficient energy toincrease temperature. Health hazards fromoverheating can occur.

There may be other athermal biological effects,however, these have not been conclusivelyestablished. Keeping exposures below “threshold”ensures possible adverse biological effects areavoided.


WHAT CAUSES

CANCER?

Cancer is caused by alterations or mutations in the genetic code

Can be induced in somatic cells by:

Carcinogens-Alcohol,tobacco,asbestos,formaldehyde

Radiation(ionizing)

Viruses

Heredity - 5%


7

Hanahan and Weinberg, Cell 100: 57, 2000

Apoptosis

Oncogenes

Tumor Suppressor

Inv. and MetsAngiogenesis

Cell cycle

Investigations on different levels:

Cells andtissue Cell-biological Investigations

Epidemiological StudiesPopulation

MoleculesBiochemical and Molecular biological Investigations

Animal (and Human) ExperimentsIndividuals

BIOLOGICAL

EFFECTS OF

RADIO WAVES


LABORATORY

STUDIES & CANCER - EMF

What has been done?

Mostly negative outcomes in bioassays

Controversy on mammary cancer

(rat genetic background important?)

No effect on spontaneous leukaemia (Mandeville, 97) and lymphomas in transgenic mice (Harris, 98)

No alteration in clinical progression of:

induced lymphocytic leukaemia (Sasser, 96)

induced acute myeloid leukaemia (Devevey)


EXPERIMENTAL

STUDIES

EPIDEMIOLOGICAL

STUDIES

Cell lines-Cell redox state,DNA,Proliferation (Marcantonio et al., 2010 (Ivancsits et al., 2005)

Animal models- A rat leukaemia model (Bernard et al., 2008)

Chung et al 2008

Jimenez-Garcia et al., 2010

A meta-analysis on EMF and childhood brain tumours included 13 studies ,8800 cases (12 case-control studies and one cohort study) (Mezei et al., 2008).ASSOCIATION BUT NO CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP

A meta-analysis –on EMF and breast cancer (Chen et al., 2010)


http://www.eclassroom.com/swap_images/books.jpg

http://www.eclassroom.com/swap_images/books.jpg

PUB MED

REVIEW AND

NOCEBO

EFFECT

At Base station-increased incidence of Headache,Nausea,sleeplessness.

Double blind Provocation studies

Nocebo effect- headache in this situation is caused by negative expectations (nocebo).


Post hoc ergo propter hoc (Latin: "after

this, therefore because of this")

The rooster crows immediately before

sunrise, therefore the rooster causes

the sun to rise.

INDIAN DATA

Committee formed by the Government of India under the Chairmanship of Dr. N.K. Ganguly, Director General, Indian Council on Medical Research which included representatives from PGIMER, Chandigarh & AIIMS New Delhi, has also opined as

…there is not enough evidence to show direct health hazards of RF exposures from Mobile Base Stations.”


SCIENTIFIC

EVIDENCE

Danish trial- followed over 420,000 Danish citizens for 20 years and showed no increased risk of cancer.(2011)

A Swedish study (2005) -"the data do not support the hypothesis that mobile phone use is related to an increased risk of glioma or meningioma

A British study (2005) -"The study suggests that there is no substantial risk of acoustic neuroma in the first decade after starting mobile phone use. However, an increase in risk after longer term use or after a longer lag period could not be ruled out

INTERPHONE project – the largest study– was published in 2011 and did not find a solid link between mobile phones and brain tumours. At least, a short term risk can be excluded with a high degree of certainty, but uncertainty still remains regarding very intensive and long-term use.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glioma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningioma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_neuroma

Is there any chance to find an increased risk for even the strongest environmental carcinogen in

the short or medium term?

STATEMENTS

OF SOME

AUTHORITIES

“there is no substantive or convincing evidence of biological effects that could harm a person’s health, that is, ICNIRP guidelines are reliable safeguards for all segments of the population, including children”.

(ICNIRP – International Commission in Non Ionizing Radiation Protection)

“Regarding Health Hazard: As per the information available with TRAI, there is no definite conclusive study, which confirms that health is adversely affected by radiation emitted by mobile phones

(TRAI - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India)

The strength of radiation received from base stations beyond a few meters from the base stations is considerably lower than the strength of radiation from radio and television transmitters

(FESA - French Environment and Safety Agency)

“There are no definite adverse health effects from mobile phones or their base stations.”

(BMA – British Medical Association)


WHO-IARCRadiofrequency electromagnetic fields were

classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group

2B), a category used when a causal association is

considered credible, but when chance, bias or

confounding cannot be ruled out with reasonable

confidence.


IARC CLASSIFICATIONS AND EXAMPLES


ON GOING STUDIES

MOBI KIDS- EU Sponsored - RISK OF BRAIN CANCER FROM EXPOSURE TO RF EMF IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

14 Countries including India,Accruel by 2014.

COSMOS- COHORT STUDY OF MOBILE PHONE USE AND HEALTH,IMPERIAL COLLEGE, LONDON

3 lakh volunteers recruited across 6 countries

Limitations of Science

Can not prove some thing does not occur

Studies are prone to errors and bias

Well conducted studies determine the weight of evidence for risk of disease

No “one test “ for carcinogen identification

IF ALL STUDY RESULTS POINT IN ONE DIRECTION, MORE CONFIDENCE IN RISK ASSESSMENT

Long duration of exposure 30 -40yrs

Complicated research

CAN WE DO A RANDOMIZED TRIAL?


CURRENT SCIENTIFIC

UNDERSTANDING

No established link between Radiation andCancer or Infertility

Despite many studies by WHO, US FDA, and other research bodies, there is no scientific evidence to establish a link between cancer and infertility and RF radiation.

23

MYTHMobile phones

and mobile tower radiation causes various types of cancer and infertility in humans.


CURRENT SCIENTIFIC

UNDERSTANDING

There is no link between radiation and brain cancer in young people

There is no conclusive evidence of a rise in the occurrence of brain cancer among young people due to the increase in the number of cell towers.

24

MYTH

The cases of brain cancer in young people are increasing with more cell towers coming up in residential areas.


CURRENT SCIENTIFIC

UNDERSTANDING

International emission norms are based on scientific studies

The exposure limits for EMF fields developed by ICNIRP were developed following reviews of all peer-reviewed scientific literature., taking into account both thermal and non-thermal effects. (WHO)

25

MYTH

The international limits are not safe as they do not take into account non-thermal or biological effects.


CURRENT SCIENTIFIC

UNDERSTANDING

Exposure to EMF is not like being in a microwave oven

All radiated energy from a tower cannot be directed to a single point. If it did, then if you held a cup of water long enough, it would start boiling!

26

MYTH

Living near EMF is like being cooked inside a microwave oven!


CONCLUSION

Should we be concerned?

EMF from mobile towers is non ionizing hence no proven biological effect to cause Cancer

So far no scientific data indicate the existence of CANCER risk

Association does not mean causation

Regulatory compliance must be in place from industry

Long term exposure risks need to be studied

On going Research is currently assessing the health impact of RF fields on health and cancer in particular


We need to focus on proven and known causes of cancer

Factual awareness among people should be promoted to avoid subjectivity and hype

Unbiased public funded long term research should be promoted for objective findings

Need for indigenous research


CONCLUSION

Should we be concerned?

Thank you for your patient hearing


emf & cancer

Health & Medicine