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Carcinogenicity study of GSM and DCS wireless communication signals in B6C3F1 mice.

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Tillmann T, Ernst H, Ebert S, Kuster N, Behnke W, Rittinghausen S, Dasenbrock C. · 2007

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Two-year study of 1,170 mice found no cancer increase from cell phone radiation at levels up to 4.0 W/kg, higher than typical phone use.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed 1,170 mice to cell phone radiation from GSM and DCS wireless signals for 2 hours daily over 2 years to test whether this exposure causes cancer. The study found no increase in cancer rates at any of the three radiation levels tested, including the highest level of 4.0 W/kg. Interestingly, male mice actually showed fewer liver tumors at higher radiation doses, though overall tumor rates remained within normal ranges for laboratory mice.

Why This Matters

This large-scale carcinogenicity study represents the type of long-term animal research that regulatory agencies rely on for safety assessments. The highest exposure level of 4.0 W/kg is significantly higher than typical cell phone use, which generates SAR levels around 1.6 W/kg or less. While the researchers found no evidence of increased cancer risk, it's worth noting that this study used whole-body exposure rather than localized exposure patterns typical of actual phone use. The science demonstrates that even at these elevated exposure levels, no carcinogenic effects were observed over the two-year study period. What this means for you is that this research adds to the body of evidence suggesting that wireless radiation at current exposure levels does not increase cancer risk in laboratory animals, though questions remain about long-term human exposure patterns and sensitive populations.

Exposure Details

Study Details

The purpose of this study using a total of 1170 B6C3F1 mice was to detect and evaluate possible carcinogenic effects in mice exposed to radio-frequency-radiation (RFR) from Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and Digital Personal Communications System (DCS) handsets as emitted by handsets operating in the center of the communication band, that is, at 902 MHz (GSM) and 1747 MHz (DCS).

Restrained mice were exposed for 2 h per day, 5 days per week over a period of 2 years to three diff...

Regarding the organ-related tumor incidence, pairwise Fisher's test did not show any significant inc...

In conclusion, the present study produced no evidence that the exposure of male and female B6C3F1 mice to wireless GSM and DCS radio frequency signals at a whole body absorption rate of up to 4.0 W/kg resulted in any adverse health effect or had any cumulative influence on the incidence or severity of neoplastic and non-neoplastic background lesions, and thus the study did not provide any evidence of RF possessing a carcinogenic potential.

Cite This Study
Tillmann T, Ernst H, Ebert S, Kuster N, Behnke W, Rittinghausen S, Dasenbrock C. (2007). Carcinogenicity study of GSM and DCS wireless communication signals in B6C3F1 mice. Bioelectromagnetics.28(3):173-187, 2007.
Show BibTeX
@article{t_2007_carcinogenicity_study_of_gsm_1364,
  author = {Tillmann T and Ernst H and Ebert S and Kuster N and Behnke W and Rittinghausen S and Dasenbrock C.},
  title = {Carcinogenicity study of GSM and DCS wireless communication signals in B6C3F1 mice.},
  year = {2007},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17019729/},
}
PubMed: 17019729

Cited By (64 papers)

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Quick Questions About This Study

A 2-year study exposing 1,170 mice to GSM and DCS cell phone radiation found no increase in cancer rates at any radiation level tested. Tumor rates remained within normal ranges for laboratory mice, providing no evidence of carcinogenic potential from wireless signals.
Research on GSM wireless radiation showed no significant increase in tumor incidence compared to unexposed mice. The study tested three different radiation levels over two years and found tumor rates stayed within normal historical ranges for laboratory mice.
A comprehensive mouse study found cell phone EMF exposure did not harm liver health. Interestingly, male mice actually showed fewer liver tumors at higher radiation doses, though overall liver tumor rates remained within normal ranges throughout the study.
A major 2-year animal study found no cancer risks from wireless phone signals at levels up to 4.0 W/kg. Researchers exposed over 1,000 mice to GSM and DCS radiation daily and observed no increase in any tumor types.
Research on DCS cell tower radiation exposure found no effect on cancer rates in a comprehensive 2-year study. Mice exposed to DCS wireless signals showed tumor incidence within normal ranges, with no evidence of increased cancer risk.