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It's likely that cell phones do provoke cancer after all
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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According to a recent study, laboratory exposure to radio waves led to the development of schwannomas in experimental rodents.
The alarming information, which confirms the negative impact of mobile phones, was published in the text of a report after two studies were conducted in support of the National Toxicology Program (United States).
"The degree and duration of radio wave exposure in laboratory tests on rodents were greater than in reality.
"The radiation affected the entire surface of the animals' bodies," notes Professor John Bucher, a spokesman for the National Toxicology Program. However, experts are extremely concerned about the fact that malignant tumors can still form under radiofrequency exposure.
Such radiation includes ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays, and has the ability to "knock out" electrons from atoms. Radio frequencies contain enough energy potential to damage cellular DNA, cause oncogenic transformations and lead to the appearance of a tumor.
Radiation belongs to the low-energy spectral end, so most experts do not support its property to knock out electrons and make structural changes in the genetic cellular material. But, absorbed by food, living tissue and liquid media, radiofrequency radiation emits heat.
Experts note: a mobile phone remains a basic source of radiation that affects the human body. To prove the safety of radio waves, scientists created special spaces with radiation, inside which rodents were placed. Radio waves were turned on at a frequency of 10 minutes after 10 minutes, for 9 hours every day. In total, the experiment lasted two years.
According to biologists, 70 years of human life correspond to two years of life in rodents.
The degree of influence of radio waves varied from the maximum allowed in the United States to a degree 4 times greater than it. The type of signal coincided with 2G and 4G signals.
The neoplasms found by specialists after the autopsy of the rodents belong to the varieties of schwannoma – the so-called cancer of Schwann cells, which are located near the peripheral nerves. This is a rather rare type of tumor, so the probability of a simple coincidence is immediately rejected.
The researchers also noted that schwannomas developed in all rodents that were exposed to the greatest influence of radio waves.
Another point was noteworthy: the radiation caused typical lesions in most rodents, but schwannomas were found only in males.
"The results of the study do not allow their application to the human body. Although there are cases of the formation of similar tumor processes in experiments related to the use of mobile phones by people," the authors point out.
Professor Otis Brawley, representing the American Cancer Society, assures that one should not worry in advance about the conclusions obtained after the study. The scientist is sure that at present the influence of mobile communications on the development of cancer remains doubtful and unproven.
The opinion of experts on this issue will appear no earlier than the end of March this year.
The course of the study is described on the website of the NTP - National Toxicology Program (United States of America).
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