Spontaneous and nitrosourea-induced primary tumors of the central nervous system in Fischer 344 rats chronically exposed to 836 MHz modulated microwaves.
Adey WR, Byus CV, Cain CD, Higgins RJ, Jones RA, Kean CJ, Kuster N, MacMurray A, Stagg RB, Zimmerman G, Phillips JL, Haggren W · 1999
View Original AbstractThis 24-month study found cell phone radiation actually reduced brain tumor rates in rats, contradicting most EMF cancer research.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed pregnant rats and their offspring to cell phone radiation (836 MHz) for 24 months to study brain tumor development. Surprisingly, the radiation-exposed animals showed fewer brain tumors than unexposed controls, both naturally occurring tumors and those induced by a cancer-causing chemical. This unexpected protective effect was most pronounced in rats that died early in the study, where radiation exposure reduced chemically-induced brain tumors by a statistically significant amount.
Why This Matters
This study presents one of the most puzzling findings in EMF research: that cell phone radiation appeared to reduce brain tumor formation rather than increase it. The researchers used exposure levels designed to simulate the localized brain exposure of actual cell phone users, making these results directly relevant to human use patterns. However, this protective effect contradicts the weight of evidence from other studies showing increased cancer risk from RF radiation exposure. The finding highlights the complexity of biological responses to electromagnetic fields and suggests that different exposure patterns, durations, or biological models may yield vastly different outcomes. What this means for you is that individual studies, even well-designed ones like this 24-month animal study, must be evaluated within the broader scientific context rather than in isolation.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study. The study examined exposure from: 836.55 MHz Duration: 24 months
Study Details
We have tested an 836.55 MHz field with North American Digital Cellular (NADC) modulation in a 2-year animal bioassay that included fetal exposure.
In offspring of pregnant Fischer 344 rats, we tested both spontaneous tumorigenicity and the inciden...
SAR levels simulated localized peak brain exposures of a cell phone user. Of the 236 original rats, ...
We discuss a possible approach to evaluating with greater certainty the possible inhibitory effects of TDMA-field exposure on tumorigenesis in the CNS.
Show BibTeX
@article{wr_1999_spontaneous_and_nitrosoureainduced_primary_1805,
author = {Adey WR and Byus CV and Cain CD and Higgins RJ and Jones RA and Kean CJ and Kuster N and MacMurray A and Stagg RB and Zimmerman G and Phillips JL and Haggren W},
title = {Spontaneous and nitrosourea-induced primary tumors of the central nervous system in Fischer 344 rats chronically exposed to 836 MHz modulated microwaves.},
year = {1999},
url = {https://meridian.allenpress.com/radiation-research/article-abstract/152/3/293/40975/Spontaneous-and-Nitrosourea-Induced-Primary-Tumors},
}