Statement of Ronald B. Herberman, MD Chairman of Board ...

most, for more than 10 years, have double the chance of developing malignant bmin tumors and
also tumors on the hearing nerve, called acoustic neurwoas.
Since my precautionary advisory in 2008, published peer-reviewed articles have provided
mounting support for the concern about increased tumor risks. and other health risks, from longtenn,
regular use of cell phones held against the head. Dr. Hardell found that when cell phone or
cordless phone use began as a teenager or younger they had a 680% and 690% increased risk of
brain cancer on the side of the head where they held their phones, respectively. Theanalogous
increased fisks when cell or cordless phone use began between 20 and 49 year of age were I 10%
and 60%, respectively. Last year, the 13 country Interphone shmdy, sponsored by the World
Health organization, finally published its findings, which also clearly indicated that frequent cell
phone use for more than 10 years was associated with a significant, 118% increase in risk for
developing brain tumors. In addition, an Israeli study indicated an increased risk fordevelopment
of salivam gland tumors on the same side ofthe head as cell phone use. Row might this happen?
Although RF radiation is considerably weaker than x-rays and we still don't understand well the
molecular mechanisms, it has been shown that is ha3 dear biologic effects, including breakage of
DNA. A recent study by Dr. Volkow, Scientific Director of the Naiional institute of Drug Abuse,
reported in JAMA that even expcsure of tho brain to RF for a few minutes changed brain
metabolism, and several studies have indicated that males who cany their ccll phone in their
pants pocket had significant decreases in sperm counts. Also, quite disconcerting are findings
from Prof. Nesrin Seyhan, the NATO-supported founding chairman of the Biophysics
Department at Gazi University in Ankara, Turkey, who reported that prenatally RF-exposed
rats and rabbits have fewer braln cells
Very recently, the Wortd Health Organization bmughttogether a group of 30 experts &om 14
nations who reviewed all known experimental and human studies regarding cell phones and
cancer. Based largely on a detailed; careful review of human popul~ion-based studies, including
some released just prior to the meeting, there was anear unanimous consensus (29-1) that regular
use of cell phones is apossible cancer-causing exposure [see attachment 1 by Baan et all.
Despite the mounting evidence for health risks from cell phone use, there certainly ale some
studies that conclude no such health risks. It is understandable that the public remains confused
about the science ou this issue. A very recent lepolt by Aydin et a1 that appeared in the Journal
of the National Cancer Institute is a case In point, That study reported no increased risk of brarn
cancer from 2004 to 2008 in children ages 7 to 19 who used cell phones. Industry-affiliated
scientists who were ~nvited to provide a commentary on this study concluded that this study
provided definitive and clear evidence that children face no increased risk at all fmm cell phone
radiation Similarly, a recent report in Forfzme magazine reassured its readers that there is an
absence of evidence for a current brain cancer epidemic.
Hold your horses! Maybe you can trust Fortune with your money, but certainly this is not the
besf source to rely on for predicting brain cancer risk. In my view, nothing could be further from
the truth. There seem to be at least three likely explanations forthe reassuring negative
conclusions in some reports: First, most such reports were supported at feast in part by the cell