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Tumor promotion by exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields below exposure limits for humans.

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Lerchl A, Klose M, Grote K, Wilhelm AF, Spathmann O, Fiedler T, Streckert J, Hansen V, Clemens M. · 2015

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RF radiation promoted tumor growth at exposure levels well below mobile phone safety limits, confirming radiation can accelerate cancer without directly causing it.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

German researchers exposed mice to radiofrequency radiation at levels similar to cell phones and found significantly higher numbers of lung, liver, and lymph node tumors compared to unexposed animals. The tumor-promoting effects occurred at very low exposure levels - well below current safety limits for mobile phone users. This replication study confirms earlier findings that RF radiation may accelerate tumor growth even when it doesn't directly cause cancer.

Why This Matters

This study represents a significant confirmation of concerning findings about RF radiation's tumor-promoting effects. What makes these results particularly noteworthy is that the strongest effects occurred at exposure levels of 0.04 and 0.4 W/kg SAR - far below the 2 W/kg limit set by safety agencies and typical of actual mobile phone use. The science demonstrates that RF radiation doesn't need to directly cause cancer to be harmful; it can accelerate the growth of tumors initiated by other factors. This tumor promotion mechanism helps explain the increased brain tumor rates observed in heavy mobile phone users in epidemiological studies. The absence of a clear dose-response relationship suggests the biological effects may be more complex than regulators assume, challenging the 'more power equals more harm' model that underlies current safety standards.

Exposure Details

SAR
0, 0.04, 0.4 and 2 W/kg

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0, 0.04, 0.4 and 2 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the No Concern range

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate Tumor promotion by exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields below exposure limits for humans.

We have performed a replication study using higher numbers of animals per group and including two ad...

We could confirm and extend the originally reported findings. Numbers of tumors of the lungs and liv...

Our findings may help to understand the repeatedly reported increased incidences of brain tumors in heavy users of mobile phones.

Cite This Study
Lerchl A, Klose M, Grote K, Wilhelm AF, Spathmann O, Fiedler T, Streckert J, Hansen V, Clemens M. (2015). Tumor promotion by exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields below exposure limits for humans. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2015 Mar 6. pii: S0006-291X(15)00398-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.02.151.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2015_tumor_promotion_by_exposure_1147,
  author = {Lerchl A and Klose M and Grote K and Wilhelm AF and Spathmann O and Fiedler T and Streckert J and Hansen V and Clemens M.},
  title = {Tumor promotion by exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields below exposure limits for humans.},
  year = {2015},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25749340/},
}
PubMed: 25749340

Cited By (109 papers)

View all 109 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

German research found that mice exposed to cell phone-level radiation developed significantly more lung, liver, and lymph node tumors than unexposed animals. The tumor-promoting effects occurred at exposure levels well below current safety limits for mobile phone users.
A 2015 study found that radiofrequency radiation at cell phone levels significantly increased lung tumors in exposed mice compared to controls. The effects occurred at very low exposure levels, suggesting potential risks even below current safety standards.
Research shows radiofrequency radiation from phones may promote tumor growth even when it doesn't directly cause cancer. One study found significantly higher numbers of tumors in multiple organs of mice exposed to phone-level radiation.
Studies indicate cell phone radiation may accelerate existing tumor growth rather than directly causing cancer. Research found tumor-promoting effects in lungs, liver, and lymph nodes at exposure levels below current safety limits for mobile users.
Radiofrequency radiation appears to promote tumor development through metabolic changes in cells. German researchers found significantly elevated tumor numbers in exposed animals, with effects occurring at very low radiation levels similar to everyday phone use.