Siemens A65 User Manual

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U.S. FDA

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of A65_PUMA am, A31008-H5810-A40-1-4A19 (11.11.2004, 16:23)

and industry, to assure that research

is undertaken to provide the neces-

sary answers to the outstanding

questions about the safety of mobile

phones.
What is known about cases of human

cancer that have been reported in users

of hand-held mobile phones?
Some people who have used mobile

phones have been diagnosed with

brain cancer. But it is important to

understand that this type of cancer

also occurs among people who have

not used mobile phones. In fact,

brain cancer occurs in the U.S. popu-

lation at a rate of about 6 new cases

per 100,000 people each year. At

that rate, assuming 80 million users

of mobile phones (a number increas-

ing at a rate of about 1 million per

month), about 4800 cases of brain

cancer would be expected each year

among those 80 million people,

whether or not they used their

phones. Thus it is not possible to tell

whether any individual's cancer

arose because of the phone, or

whether it would have happened

anyway. A key question is whether

the risk of getting a particular form

of cancer is greater among people

who use mobile phones than among

the rest of the population. One way

to answer that question is to com-

pare the usage of mobile phones

among people with brain cancer

with the use of mobile phones

among appropriately matched peo-

ple without brain cancer. This is

called a case-control study. The cur-

rent case-control study of brain can-

cers by the National Cancer Institute,

as well as the follow-up research to

be sponsored by industry, will begin

to generate this type of information.
What is FDA's role concerning the safety

of mobile phones?
Under the law, FDA does not review

the safety of radiation emitting con-

sumer products such as mobile

phones before marketing, as it does

with new drugs or medical devices.

However, the agency has authority

to take action if mobile phones are

shown to emit radiation at a level

that is hazardous to the user. In such

a case, FDA could require the manu-

facturers of mobile phones to notify

users of the health hazard and to re-

pair, replace or recall the phones so

that the hazard no longer exists.

Although the existing scientific data

do not justify FDA regulatory actions

at this time, FDA has urged the mo-

bile phone industry to take a number

of steps to assure public safety. The

agency has recommended that the

industry:
• Support needed research into pos-

sible biological effects of RF of the

type emitted by mobile phones;

• Design mobile phones in a way

that minimizes any RF exposure to

the user that is not necessary for

device function; and