We write in response to 2 letters1,2 concerning our recent commentary in Epidemiology (“Mobile phones and cancer: next steps after the 2011 IARC review”).3 We concur with the reasoned call by Cardis and colleagues1 for a strategic research agenda that will address critical uncertainties related to any risks of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation, and we note that such research agendas have been regularly developed by, for instance, WHO and the European Commission. We were pleased to learn about the just-funded GERoNiMO initiative that takes a broad, interdisciplinary approach in a 5-year project (geronimo.crealradiation.com).
Hardell et al2 offer concerns about the completeness of coverage of the literature in the commentary. We wrote our commentary3 explicitly to address issues raised by the release of IARC Monograph 102,4 and we did not develop a full systematic review of publications since the 2011 2B classification. The 3 publications by the Hardell group5–7 were published after we submitted our manuscript for publication; however, their results remain incompatible with incidence time trends based on the high-quality Nordic population-based cancer registries.8 All available reports from the studies by Hardell and colleagues were considered in Monograph 102.4
Readers of our commentary should recognize its specific purpose: to review key issues raised by the release of the IARC classification.4 We touch on topics that are critical for not only IARC but also scientists who carry out research on any topic that is controversial, challenging, and of societal importance. There is a wide range of views on the possible risks of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation and approaches to exposure management, and open discussion on these topics is needed. EPIDEMIOLOGY has provided a venue for this discussion, and we thank the authors of the 2 letters1,2 for their comments.
Jonathan M. Samet
Department of Preventive Medicine
Keck School of Medicine of USC
Institute for Global Health
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
[email protected]
Kurt Straif
Section of IARC Monographs
International Agency for
Research on Cancer
Lyon, France
Joachim Schüz
Section of Environment and Radiations
International Agency for
Research on Cancer
Lyon, France
Rodolfo Saracci
International Agency for
Research on Cancer
Lyon, France
REFERENCES
1. Langer CE, Grellier J, Turner MC, Cardis E. Mobile phones and cancer: next steps [letter]. Epidemiology. 2014;25:616–617
2. Hardell L, Carlberrg M, Söderqvist F, Hansson Mild K. Mobile phones and cancer: next steps [letter]. Epidemiology. 2014;25:617–618
3. Samet JM, Straif K, Schüz J, Saracci R. Commentary: mobile phones and cancer: next steps after the 2011 IARC review. Epidemiology. 2014;25:23–27
4. International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Human. Non-Ionizing Radiation, Part 2: Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields. 2013;Vol. 102 Lyon, France International Agency for Research on Cancer
5. Carlberg M, Söderqvist F, Hansson Mild K, Hardell L. Meningioma patients diagnosed 2007–2009 and the association with use of mobile and cordless phones: a case–control study. Environ Health. 2013;12:60
6. Hardell L, Carlberg M, Söderqvist F, Mild KH. Pooled analysis of case-control studies on acoustic neuroma diagnosed 1997-2003 and 2007-2009 and use of mobile and cordless phones. Int J Oncol. 2013;43:1036–1044
7. Hardell L, Carlberg M, Söderqvist F, Mild KH. Case-control study of the association between malignant brain tumours diagnosed between 2007 and 2009 and mobile and cordless phone use. Int J Oncol. 2013;43:1833–1845
8. Deltour I, Auvinen A, Feychting M, et al. Mobile phone use and incidence of glioma in the Nordic countries 1979-2008: consistency check. Epidemiology. 2012;23:301–307
