6,486 Studies Reviewed. 85.2% of Original Studies Found Biological Effects. The Evidence is Clear.
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Cancer & Tumors

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Key Finding: 75% of 572 primary studies on cancer & tumors found biological effects from EMF exposure.

Of 572 studies examining cancer & tumors, 75% found measurable biological effects from EMF exposure.

Lowest Documented Effect

Research found effects on cancer & tumors at exposures as low as:

Study Exposure Level in ContextStudy Exposure Level in Context200 µW/m²Extreme Concern - 1,000 µW/m²FCC Limit - 10M µW/m²Effects observed in the Severe Concern range (Building Biology)FCC limit is 50,000 times higher than this level

Research Overview

  • -Nearly four out of five studies examining the relationship between electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure and cancer risk have documented measurable effects.
  • -Out of 738 total studies on this topic, 584 show evidence of cancer-related harm-a 79% concordance rate that reflects a substantial body of scientific concern.
  • -This isn't a marginal or disputed finding relegated to fringe research.

Nearly four out of five studies examining the relationship between electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure and cancer risk have documented measurable effects. Out of 738 total studies on this topic, 584 show evidence of cancer-related harm-a 79% concordance rate that reflects a substantial body of scientific concern. This isn't a marginal or disputed finding relegated to fringe research.

Of the 738 studies in our Cancer & Tumors collection, 584 identified effects ranging from DNA damage and increased cancer cell proliferation to disrupted cellular repair mechanisms.

The research presented in this section demonstrates significant evidence that extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF-EMF) exposures can cause DNA damage and genetic alterations relevant to leukemia development.

Source: BioInitiative Working Group. BioInitiative Report: A Rationale for Biologically-based Public Exposure Standards for Electromagnetic Radiation. Edited by Cindy Sage and David O. Carpenter, BioInitiative, 2012, updated 2020. www.bioinitiative.org

Showing 627 studies

Cancer & TumorsNo Effects Found

Cellular telephone use and time trends for brain, head and neck tumours.

Cook A, Woodward A, Pearce N, Marshall C. · 2003

Researchers investigated whether trends in tumour incidence rates in New Zealand varied since the introduction of cellular telephones in 1987. The exposure measure was the proportion of cellular telephone subscribers within the national population. They compared trends in tumour rates at anatomical sites receiving high, medium, and low levels of cellular telephone radiation based on dosimetry data. Graphs for high, medium, and low exposure sites showed no significant changes in trend patterns for either gender from 1986 to 1998. Incidence rates for head and neck malignancies, including sites hypothetically receiving the highest radiofrequency radiation, did not change materially after cellular telephone introduction.

Decreased survival for childhood leukemia in proximity to television towers.

Hocking B, Gordon I. · 2003

The authors examined survival of 123 children with acute lymphatic leukemia in an inner ring and an outer ring of municipalities around television towers in North Sydney, Australia. The inner ring included 29 cases with 16 deaths, while the outer ring included 94 cases with 34 deaths. Five-year survival was 55% in the inner ring and 71% in the outer ring, and 10-year survival was 33% versus 62%. The adjusted mortality rate ratio for the inner ring compared to the outer ring was 2.1 with a 95% confidence interval of 1.1 to 4.0. The difference in survival was statistically significant with a log-rank test p-value of 0.03 and a Wilcoxon test p-value of 0.05.

Vestibular schwannoma, tinitus and cellular telephones.

Hardell L et al. · 2003

The aim of the study was to investigate vestibular schwannoma, tinnitus, and cellular telephones. An increased odds ratio of 3.45 with a 95% confidence interval of 1.77-6.76 was found for vestibular schwannoma associated with analogue cell phone use. The age-standardized incidence of vestibular schwannoma in Sweden increased significantly by 2.53% per year from 1960 to 1998, with the increase only significant in the period 1980-1998.

Cancer & Tumors193 citations

Further aspects on cellular and cordless telephones and brain tumours.

Hardell L, Mild KH, Carlberg M. · 2003

Researchers conducted a case-control study of 1,617 patients aged 20-80 with histopathology-verified brain tumours diagnosed from 1997 to 2000, each matched to a control from the Swedish Population Register. Tumours in the temporal area on the same side as phone use had higher risk for analogue phones (OR=2.3, 95% CI=1.2-4.1), acoustic neurinoma risk was OR=4.4 (95% CI=2.1-9.2) for analogue users, and risk rose per year of analogue use (OR=1.04 per year, 95% CI=1.01-1.08).

Non-thermal exposure to radiofrequency energy from digital wireless phones does not affect ornithine decarboxylase activity in L929 Cells.

Desta AB, Owen RD, Cress LW. · 2003

Researchers exposed L929 murine fibroblast cells to radiofrequency radiation from a time division multiple access wireless phone operating at 835 MHz to determine the effect on ornithine decarboxylase activity. Exposure lasted 8 hours at average specific absorption rates ranging from less than 1 W/kg up to 15 W/kg, after which cells were harvested and ODC activity was measured. No statistically significant difference in ODC activity was found between exposed and sham-exposed cells at non-thermal specific absorption rates. At SARs that caused measurable heating, a dose-dependent decrease in enzymatic activity was observed and was consistent with a comparable decrease caused by non-RF-radiation heating.

Effects of GSM-900 microwaves on DMBA-induced mammary gland tumors in female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Anane R et al. · 2003

Researchers tested whether whole-body exposure to GSM-900 microwaves affected tumor promotion and progression in female Sprague-Dawley rats with DMBA-induced mammary tumors. Results were negative for tumor latency, multiplicity, and volume, though in the first experiment tumor incidence was higher at 1.4 W/kg but less so at 2.2 W/kg and not at all at 3.5 W/kg. Overall the results were considered rather inconsistent and did not bring new evidence of a co-promoting effect of GSM-900 exposure.

Exposure of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to electromagnetic fields associated with cellular phones leads to chromosomal instability.

Mashevich M et al. · 2003

Researchers examined whether in vitro exposure of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to continuous 830 MHz electromagnetic fields causes losses and gains of chromosomes, a condition called aneuploidy. Cells were irradiated at SAR levels ranging from 1.6 to 8.8 W/kg for 72 hours. A linear increase in chromosome 17 aneuploidy was observed as a function of the SAR value, which the researchers described as a genotoxic effect. Control experiments conducted without any RF radiation across a temperature range of 34.5 to 38.5 °C showed that elevated temperature was not associated with the increased aneuploidy or the changes in centromeric DNA replication seen after RF exposure.

Magnetic field exposure increases cell proliferation but does not affect melatonin levels in the mammary gland of female Sprague Dawley rats

Unknown authors · 2002

Female Sprague Dawley rats were MF or sham exposed for 2 weeks at a flux density of 100 microTesla. Proliferation of epithelial cells in the mammary tissue and adjacent skin was examined by in vivo labeling with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) and in situ labeling of Ki-67 protein by the antibody MIB-5. MF exposure significantly enhanced BrdUrd and Ki-67 labeling in the mammary epithelium, indicating a marked increase in cell proliferation. Melatonin levels in pineal or mammary glands were not affected by MF exposure. Topical application of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate increased BrdUrd and Ki-67 labeling in skin epithelial cells, particularly hair follicles, but not in mammary tissue.

Cancer & Tumors
Not an original health-effects study

Does our electricity distribution system pose a serious risk to public health?

Unknown authors · 2002

The paper estimates the annual number of excess illness cases that might occur near high-voltage powerlines in the UK. Within 150m of powerlines, magnetic field exposures above 0.1 microT are postulated to result in 9000 excess cases of depression in adults and 60 cases of suicide. Within 400m of powerlines, this may result annually in 200-400 excess cases of lung cancer, 2000-3000 cases of other illnesses associated with air population and 2-6 cases of childhood leukaemia. Seventeen cases of non-melanoma skin cancer might occur by exposure directly under powerlines.

DNA & Genetic DamageNo Effects Found

Lack of Mutation Induction with Exposure to 1.5 GHz Electromagnetic Near Fields Used for Cellular Phones in Brains of Big Blue Mice.

Takahashi S et al. · 2002

Researchers investigated the mutagenic potential of 1.5 GHz electromagnetic near fields using brain tissues of Big Blue mice. Male BBM were locally exposed to EMF in the head region at 2.0, 0.67, and 0 W/kg specific absorption rate for 90 min/day, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. There was no significant variation in the frequency of independent mutations of the lacI transgene in the brains. Deletion mutations were slightly increased in both the high and low EMF exposure groups as compared with the sham-exposed group, but the differences were not statistically significant.

Cancer & TumorsNo Effects Found

Mobile phones and malignant melanoma of the eye.

Johansen C et al. · 2002

The study aimed to investigate mobile phones and malignant melanoma of the eye. The researchers compared incidence rates of this rare cancer with the number of mobile phone subscribers in Denmark and found no increasing trend in melanoma incidence, in sharp contrast to the exponentially increasing number of subscribers starting in the early 1980s.

Occupation and Risk of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Zheng T, Blair A, Zhang Y, Weisenburger DD, Zahm SH · 2002

Researchers analyzed data from two population-based case-control studies of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma performed in Kansas and Nebraska. The analysis included 555 incident NHL cases, 56 CLL cases, and 2380 population-based controls. In men, agricultural, forestry, and logging industries were associated with an odds ratio of 1.6 for NHL and CLL. Risks increased with duration of employment and appeared to vary by histological type of NHL.

Cancer & Tumors137 citations

Handheld cellular telephones and risk of acoustic neuroma

Muscat JE et al. · 2002

The hypothesis that intracranial energy deposition from handheld cellular telephones causes acoustic neuroma was tested in an epidemiologic study of 90 patients and 86 control subjects. The relative risk was 0.9 (p = 0.07) and did not vary significantly by the frequency, duration, and lifetime hours of use. In patients who used cellular telephones, the tumor occurred more often on the contralateral than ipsilateral side of the head. Further efforts should focus on potentially longer induction periods.

Cancer & Tumors151 citations

Adult and childhood leukemia near a high-power radio station in Rome, Italy.

Michelozzi P et al. · 2002

Researchers conducted an ecological study near the Vatican Radio station in Rome to evaluate leukemia mortality in adults and childhood leukemia incidence. The study area within 10 km had 49,656 residents, with 40 adult leukemia deaths (1987–1998) and eight childhood leukemia cases (1987–1999). Childhood leukemia risk was elevated within 6 km (standardized incidence rate 2.2, 95% CI 1.0–4.1). Risk declined significantly with distance for both male adult mortality (p=0.03) and childhood leukemia (p=0.036). The authors noted limitations including small case numbers and lack of exposure data, and stated no causal implication can be drawn.

Non-thermal activation of the hsp27/p38MAPK stress pathway by mobile phone radiation in human endothelial cells: Molecular mechanism for cancer- and blood-brain barrier-related effects.

Leszczynski D, Joenväärä S, Reivinen J, Kuokka R · 2002

Researchers exposed human endothelial EA.hy926 cells to 900 MHz GSM mobile phone radiation for 1-hour and observed changes in phosphorylation of many proteins. The exposure transiently increased phosphorylation of hsp27 and altered expression levels of hsp27 and p38MAPK, and this phosphorylation increase was prevented by a p38MAPK inhibitor. The culture temperature remained at 37 +/- 0.3 degrees C throughout the exposure, confirming non-thermal effects. The authors hypothesized that mobile phone radiation-induced activation of hsp27 may facilitate brain cancer by inhibiting the cytochrome c/caspase-3 apoptotic pathway and increase blood-brain barrier permeability by stabilizing endothelial cell stress fibers.

Cancer & Tumors249 citations

cellular and cordless telephones and the risk for brain tumours.

Hardell L et al. · 2002

Researchers conducted a case-control study of 1617 patients aged 20 to 80 with histopathologically verified brain tumours diagnosed between 1997 and 2000 in Sweden. Exposure to analogue cellular telephones was assessed by questionnaire and showed an overall increased odds ratio of 1.3 for brain tumours. The risk was higher for tumours on the same side of the head as phone use (OR 2.5) and for acoustic neurinoma (OR 3.5), while no clear association was found for digital or cordless phones.

Melanoma incidence and frequency modulation (FM) broadcasting.

Hallberg O, Johansson O. · 2002

Researchers extracted exposure-time-specific incidence from exposure and incidence data from 4 different countries and compared it with reported age-specific incidence of melanoma. The exposure-time-specific incidence from all 4 countries became almost identical and approximately equal to the reported age-specific incidence of melanoma. A correlation was found between melanoma incidence and the number of locally receivable FM transmitters.

Learn More

For a comprehensive exploration of EMF health effects including cancer & tumors, along with practical protection strategies, explore these books by R Blank and Dr. Martin Blank.

FAQs: EMF & Cancer & Tumors

Nearly four out of five studies examining the relationship between electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure and cancer risk have documented measurable effects. Out of 738 total studies on this topic, 584 show evidence of cancer-related harm-a 79% concordance rate that reflects a substantial body of scientific concern. This isn't a marginal or disputed finding relegated to fringe research.
The SYB Research Database includes 572 peer-reviewed studies examining the relationship between electromagnetic field exposure and cancer & tumors. These studies have been conducted by researchers worldwide and published in scientific journals. The research spans multiple decades and includes various types of EMF sources including cell phones, WiFi, power lines, and other common sources of electromagnetic radiation.
75% of the 572 studies examining cancer & tumors found measurable biological effects from EMF exposure. This means that 431 studies documented observable changes in biological systems when exposed to electromagnetic fields. The remaining 25% either found no significant effects or had inconclusive results, which is typical in scientific research where study design and exposure parameters vary.