UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE

Medicina

Santiago, Chile

2018 - At present

UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILE

Medicina

Santiago, Chile

1998 - 2011

Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile

Santiago, Chile

2014 - 2017

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Estados Unidos, 2012

1) Honorable Mention (Jointly submitted): Title: Risk of brain tumours in relation to estimated RF dose from mobile phones: results from five Interphone countries Authors: Cardis E, Armstrong BK, Bowman JD, Giles GG, Hours M, Krewski D, McBride M, Parent ME, Sadetzki S, Woodward A, Brown J, Chetrit A, Figuerola J, Hoffmann C, Jarus-Hakak A, Montestruq L, Nadon L, Richardson L, Villegas R, Vrijheid M Source: Occup Environ Med 68(9):631-640, 2011 2) Title: Estimation of RF energy absorbed in the brain from mobile phones in the Interphone Study Authors: Cardis E, Varsier N, Bowman JD, Deltour I, Figuerola J, Mann S, Moissonnier M, Taki M, Vecchia P, Villegas R, Vrijheid M, Wake K, Wiart J Source: Occup Environ Med 68(9):686-693, 2011 Description: These two papers are a dramatic demonstration of an epidemiologic study which was improved by incorporating biophysical principles and additional data into the exposure assessment. A 13-nation Interphone Study of cell phones and brain cancer had originally reported a puzzling U-shaped dose-response of the risks related to the time of cell phone use reported at interviews. Since the radio-frequency (RF) energy absorbed in the brain is determined by many factors beyond cell phone usage time, a novel biophysical model was developed of the RF dose at the tumour site from the cell phones used by the Interphone subjects. This model incorporated all the cell phone types mentioned during the subject interviews, laboratory dosimetry data on these cell phones, present-day measurements of a phone’s average output power in the subject’s cellular network, and the tumour’s coordinates from radiologists. The model then calculated the cumulative specific RF energy absorbed at the tumour’s center. When this RF dose model was used to reanalyze the brain cancer risks with data from 5 of the 13 Interphone countries, a significant dose-response was found with gliomas for phone use of more than 7 years. This outcome would be expected if the probability of tumorigenesis progressing through one or more stages was proportional to the RF power absorbed by a glia cell. Confirming a biologically-based hypothesis with a well-designed epidemiologic study provided some evidence that the RF emissions from cell phones could be a causal factor in brain cancer. A recent working group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) found RF electromagnetic fields, including radiation from cell phones, to be a possible human carcinogen. In justifying this decision, IARC’s summary report cited the Risk paper’s dose-response from more than 7 years of phone use. In addition to providing evidence for cell phone carcinogenesis, the findings of these two papers also help identify preventive measures. Effective preventions would include reducing the time talking on the phone and the amount of RF radiation reaching the head by using hands-free devices, the speaker-phone mode, or text messaging.