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Cancer & Tumors

Carcinogenicity Study of 217 Hz Pulsed 900 MHz electromagnetic fields in pim1 transgenic mice.

No Effects Found

Oberto G, Rolfo K, Yu P, Carbonatto M, Peano S, Kuster N, Ebert S, Tofani S · 2007

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This rigorous 18-month study found no cancer increase in mice exposed to cell phone-level radiation, contradicting earlier alarming findings.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed genetically modified mice to pulsed 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation (similar to cell phone signals) for 18 months to test whether it could cause cancer. Despite using exposure levels up to three times higher than a previous study that found increased lymphomas, this larger study found no increase in tumors or cancer at any of the tested exposure levels. This contradicts earlier research suggesting cell phone radiation might promote cancer development.

Why This Matters

This study represents a significant attempt to resolve conflicting evidence about RF radiation and cancer risk. The researchers deliberately used the same exposure parameters as Repacholi's influential 1997 study that found increased lymphomas, but with a more rigorous design including both male and female mice and higher sample sizes. The failure to replicate those concerning findings, even at exposure levels exceeding current safety guidelines, suggests the original results may have been spurious. However, the reality is that animal studies using different exposure patterns, durations, and genetic backgrounds have produced mixed results. What this means for you is that while this particular study provides some reassurance, the broader body of research on RF radiation and cancer remains unsettled, with studies showing both positive and negative results depending on methodology and exposure conditions.

Exposure Details

SAR
0.5, 1.4 or 4.0 W/kg
Source/Device
900 MHz
Exposure Duration
1 h/day, 7 days/week

Exposure Context

This study used 0.5, 1.4 or 4.0 W/kg for SAR (device absorption):

Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.

Where This Falls on the Concern Scale

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in ContextThis study: 0.5, 1.4 or 4.0 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 3 times higher than this level
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 900 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 900 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

To study the Carcinogenicity of 217 Hz pulsed 900 MHz electromagnetic fields in Pim1 transgenic mice

In an 18-month carcinogenicity study, Pim1 transgenic mice were exposed to pulsed 900 MHz (pulse wid...

The results of this study do not suggest any effect of 217 Hz-pulsed RF-radiation exposure (pulse wi...

Overall, the study shows no effect of RF radiation under the conditions used on the incidence of any neoplastic or non-neoplastic lesion, and thus the study does not provide evidence that RF radiation possesses carcinogenic potential.

Cite This Study
Oberto G, Rolfo K, Yu P, Carbonatto M, Peano S, Kuster N, Ebert S, Tofani S (2007). Carcinogenicity Study of 217 Hz Pulsed 900 MHz electromagnetic fields in pim1 transgenic mice. Radiat Res 168(3):316-326, 2007.
Show BibTeX
@article{g_2007_carcinogenicity_study_of_217_3276,
  author = {Oberto G and Rolfo K and Yu P and Carbonatto M and Peano S and Kuster N and Ebert S and Tofani S},
  title = {Carcinogenicity Study of 217 Hz Pulsed 900 MHz electromagnetic fields in pim1 transgenic mice.},
  year = {2007},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17705642/},
}
PubMed: 17705642

Cited By (58 papers)

View all 58 citing papers on Semantic Scholar

Quick Questions About This Study

No, a comprehensive 18-month study found that 217 Hz pulsed 900 MHz radiation did not increase cancer rates in genetically modified mice. Despite using exposure levels three times higher than previous research, scientists observed no increase in tumors at any tested radiation levels.
No, the 2007 Oberto study failed to confirm Repacholi's earlier findings linking cell phone radiation to lymphomas. Using similar genetically modified mice but larger sample sizes and higher exposure levels, researchers found no increased cancer risk from pulsed radiofrequency radiation.
Researchers exposed pim1 transgenic mice to 217 Hz pulsed 900 MHz radiation for 18 months to test cancer development. This extended exposure period allowed scientists to observe potential long-term carcinogenic effects, but no increased tumor rates were found at any exposure level.
The study used 217 Hz pulsed 900 MHz radiation with a pulse width of 0.577 milliseconds. This specific pulsing pattern mimics certain cell phone signal characteristics, but researchers found no carcinogenic effects despite 18 months of exposure in genetically susceptible mice.
No, even at exposure levels three times higher than previous studies, 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation did not cause tumors in mice. The 2007 research used these elevated exposure levels specifically to test whether higher intensities might reveal carcinogenic effects, but found none.