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Cancer & Tumors

Expression of the Proto-oncogene Fos after Exposure to Radiofrequency Radiation Relevant to Wireless Communications.

No Effects Found

Whitehead TD, Brownstein BH, Parry JJ, Thompson D, Cha BA, Moros EG, Rogers BE, Roti Roti JL. · 2005

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High-level cell phone radiation failed to activate cancer-related genes in lab cells, contradicting earlier findings and showing research inconsistencies.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers exposed cells to radiofrequency radiation from cell phone signals (CDMA, FDMA, and TDMA) at high absorption rates of 5-10 W/kg to see if it would activate Fos, a gene linked to cellular stress and potential cancer development. They found no significant changes in Fos expression compared to unexposed cells, failing to confirm an earlier study that had reported such effects. This suggests that RF radiation at these levels may not trigger this particular cellular stress response.

Why This Matters

This study represents an important example of the scientific process at work in EMF research. The researchers specifically set out to replicate findings from an earlier study by Goswami and colleagues that had found RF radiation could activate the Fos proto-oncogene, which plays a role in cellular growth control and has been linked to cancer development. The failure to replicate these results is significant because reproducibility is a cornerstone of reliable science. The exposure levels used (5-10 W/kg SAR) are substantially higher than what you'd experience from normal cell phone use, which typically produces SAR values under 2 W/kg. While negative results like these don't prove RF radiation is safe, they do suggest that if effects exist at realistic exposure levels, they may be more subtle than some earlier studies suggested. What this means for you is that the evidence for RF radiation triggering this particular stress response pathway remains inconclusive, highlighting why we need consistent, well-designed studies to understand potential health effects.

Exposure Details

SAR
5, 10 W/kg
Source/Device
847.74, 835.62 MHz

Exposure Context

This study used 5, 10 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: 5, 10 W/kgExtreme Concern - 0.1 W/kgFCC Limit - 1.6 W/kgEffects observed in the Extreme Concern range (Building Biology)This level is 3 times the FCC limit
A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 835.6 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 835.6 MHzPower lines50/60 Hz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

Study Details

The aim of this study is to investigate Expression of the Proto-oncogene Fos after Exposure to Radiofrequency Radiation Relevant to Wireless Communications.

In this study the expression levels of the proto-oncogene Fos were measured after exposure to radiof...

Expression of Fos mRNA in C3H 10T(1/2) cells was not significantly different from that found after s...

Therefore, the results of Goswami et al. could not be confirmed.

Cite This Study
Whitehead TD, Brownstein BH, Parry JJ, Thompson D, Cha BA, Moros EG, Rogers BE, Roti Roti JL. (2005). Expression of the Proto-oncogene Fos after Exposure to Radiofrequency Radiation Relevant to Wireless Communications. Radiat Res. 164(4):420-430, 2005.
Show BibTeX
@article{td_2005_expression_of_the_protooncogene_3488,
  author = {Whitehead TD and Brownstein BH and Parry JJ and Thompson D and Cha BA and Moros EG and Rogers BE and Roti Roti JL.},
  title = {Expression of the Proto-oncogene Fos after Exposure to Radiofrequency Radiation Relevant to Wireless Communications.},
  year = {2005},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16187744/},
}
PubMed: 16187744

Cited By (26 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2005 study found that 847 MHz radiofrequency radiation from CDMA, FDMA, and TDMA cell phone signals did not activate the Fos proto-oncogene in cells, even at high absorption rates of 5-10 W/kg. This suggests RF radiation may not trigger this particular cellular stress response linked to cancer development.
Research testing absorption rates of 5-10 W/kg from cell phone frequencies found no significant cellular stress responses. The study measured Fos gene expression in C3H 10T(1/2) cells exposed to 847.74 and 835.62 MHz radiation and found no differences compared to unexposed cells.
A controlled study exposed cells to CDMA, FDMA, and TDMA cell phone signal modulations at 847 MHz frequencies. Researchers found no significant changes in Fos proto-oncogene expression compared to sham-exposed cells, suggesting these digital signal types don't trigger this cancer-related cellular response.
No, a 2005 replication study by Whitehead and colleagues could not confirm the Goswami findings. Using similar radiofrequency exposures at 847 MHz, they found no significant Fos gene activation in cells, contradicting the earlier reported effects of cell phone radiation on cellular stress markers.
Testing at 835.62 MHz radiofrequency radiation showed no significant activation of Fos, a gene associated with cellular stress and DNA damage responses. The 2005 study used high absorption rates up to 10 W/kg but found no differences in gene expression compared to control cells.