Chronic Exposure to a GSM-like Signal (Mobile Phone) Does Not Stimulate the Development of DMBA-Induced Mammary Tumors in Rats: Results of Three Consecutive Studies.
Bartsch H, Bartsch C, Seebald E, Deerberg F, Dietz K, Vollrath L, Mecke D. · 2002
View Original AbstractCell phone-level radiation did not promote breast tumors in rats, with one study actually showing delayed tumor development.
Plain English Summary
Scientists tested whether cell phone radiation affects breast cancer development in rats across three studies. The radiation did not increase tumor rates or speed cancer growth overall. One study showed slightly delayed tumor development, but this wasn't repeated. Results suggest no clear cancer risk.
Why This Matters
This study represents one of the more rigorous approaches to testing whether cell phone radiation promotes cancer development. The researchers used exposure levels (17.5-70 mW/kg SAR) that mirror what you experience during typical cell phone use, and they replicated their experiment three times to ensure reliability. What makes this research particularly valuable is that it tested whether RF radiation acts as a tumor promoter rather than a tumor initiator, addressing concerns that cell phone use might accelerate existing cancer processes. The finding that one study actually showed delayed tumor development in exposed animals is intriguing and suggests the biological effects may be more complex than simple promotion or inhibition. While these results are reassuring for breast cancer specifically, the authors correctly note that blood cancers like leukemia may respond differently to RF exposure and require separate investigation.
Exposure Details
- SAR
- 0.0175 – 0.07 W/kg
- Power Density
- 0.1 µW/m²
- Source/Device
- 900 MHz pulsed at 217 Hz
Exposure Context
This study used 0.1 µW/m² for radio frequency:
- 10Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.1 μW/m²
- 166.7Kx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 0.0006 μW/cm²
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 Details
In this study, an RF field used in mobile telecommunication was tested using 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumors in female Sprague-Dawley rats as a model for human breast cancer.
Three experiments were carried out under strictly standardized conditions and were started on the sa...
The overall results of the three studies are that there was no statistically significant effect of R...
These results show that low-level RF radiation does not appear to possess carcinogenic or cancer-promoting effects on DMBA-induced mammary tumors. To explain the mechanisms underlying the different results obtained in the three experiments, a hypothesis is presented which is based upon the neuroendocrine control mechanisms involved in the promotion of DMBA-induced mammary tumors. Despite the apparent absence of stimulatory effects of low-level RF-field exposure on the development and growth of solid tumors, it will be necessary to verify these results for leukemias and lymphomas, which may have completely different biological control mechanisms.
Show BibTeX
@article{h_2002_chronic_exposure_to_a_846,
author = {Bartsch H and Bartsch C and Seebald E and Deerberg F and Dietz K and Vollrath L and Mecke D.},
title = {Chronic Exposure to a GSM-like Signal (Mobile Phone) Does Not Stimulate the Development of DMBA-Induced Mammary Tumors in Rats: Results of Three Consecutive Studies.},
year = {2002},
url = {https://meridian.allenpress.com/radiation-research/article-abstract/157/2/183/331562/Chronic-Exposure-to-a-GSM-like-Signal-Mobile-Phone},
}