Implantable microchips may be dangerous

[MilDoc]

Just FYI:

Touted as a great advance these are RFID chips implanted beneath the skin and carry medical records etc.

But numerous studies in rats / mice have drawn a strong link between the chips and development of sarcomas - cancers. Two reports have also surfaced in dogs with the chips. The chips' transponders seem to be the problem.

And Tommy Thompson, head of HHS (Department the FDA operates under) and a strong advocate of chips, left his post in Jan 2005. By July he was a board member of the company that makes the chips, paid in cash and valuable stock options.

Will the chips cause cancer in humans? Who knows. But I for one will not be volunteering for one anytime soon. More study is needed in other mammals and primates.

[Ed62]

Thanks for the post, Paul. We have been considering a chip for our dog, even though she is never out of the yard without us. Your post gives me one less thing to think about.

Ed

[Tom Slick]

I don't understand why they would cause cancer?

[gerti]

Thanks for the post, Paul. We have been considering a chip for our dog, even though she is never out of the yard without us. Your post gives me one less thing to think about.

All our dogs are chipped: Cases of cancer in dogs caused by the chips are extremely rare. On the other side, most shelters and any responsible research labs (yes, sadly they exist and they do use stray dogs as well) check for chips. I sleep a lot better knowing our dogs are chipped.

[LinuxRandal]

I don't understand why they would cause cancer?

They are a foreign object in the body. While they normally are in a fairly fixed and safe spot, I would be interested to see the studies. I wonder if they started to move, like women's implants (yes and drunk guys too).

Cancer is simply a mutated cell. Doesn't have to be malignent. So if they moved, the body after failing to get rid of them, has some cells mutate around them.

Without any facts though, it's no more then a WAG.