International Agency for Research on Cancer

IARC classification of RF EMF

In May 2011 IARC classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), based on an increased risk for glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer associated with wireless phone use.

The  IARC website lists 285 agents classified as group 2B including RF fields, coffee, gasoline engine exhaust, pickled vegetables, ELF magnetic fields and styrene.

The IARC provides the following summary of the classification:

Summary of the IARC classification of RF EMF

The WHO has provided the following summary of the IARC classification of radio frequency electromagnetic fields:

In terms of what the IARC 2B classification means, the WHO summarises this as:

IARC World Cancer Report 2014

In 2014, IARC published the World Cancer Report and say that the most significant causes of all head and neck cancers are tobacco use and alcohol consumption. These exposures account for the development of approximately 80% of such cancers globally. Brain tumours account for less than 2% of the overall human cancer burden.

In terms of mobile phones and cancer, and environmental exposures from transmitters the World Cancer Report 2014 says: