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Study of Cellphone Risks Finds 'Some Evidence' of Link to Cancer, at Least in Male Rats
For decades, health experts have struggled to determine whether or not cellphones can cause cancer. On Thursday, a federal agency released the final results of what experts call the world's largest and most costly experiment to look into the question. The study originated in the Clinton administration, cost $30 million and involved some 3,000 rodents.
The experiment, by the National Toxicology Program, found positive but relatively modest evidence that radio waves from some types of cellphones could raise the risk that male rats develop brain cancer. "We believe that the link between radio-frequency radiation and tumors in male rats is real," John Bucher, a senior scientist at the National Toxicology Program, said in a statement.
But he cautioned that the exposure levels and durations were far greater than what people typically encounter, and thus cannot "be compared directly to the exposure that humans experience." Moreover, the rat study examined the effects of a radio frequency associated with an early generation of cellphone technology, one that fell out of routine use years ago. Any concerns arising from the study thus would seem to apply mainly to early adopters who used those bygone devices, not to users of current models.
[...] The rats were exposed to radiation at a frequency of 900 megahertz — typical of the second generation of cellphones that prevailed in the 1990s, when the study was first conceived. Current cellphones represent a fourth generation, known as 4G, and 5G phones are expected to debut around 2020. They employ much higher frequencies, and these radio waves are far less successful at penetrating the bodies of humans and rats, scientists say.
Previously: Major Cell Phone Radiation Study Reignites Cancer Questions
First Clear Evidence Cell Phone Radiation Can Cause Cancer In Rats
Related: Dim-Bulb Politician Wants Warning on Cell Phones
California Issues Warning Over Cellphones; Study Links Non-Ionizing Radiation to Miscarriage
Mill Valley, California Blocks 5G Over Health Concerns
(Score: 2) by Alphatool on Sunday November 04 2018, @12:18PM (1 child)
There absolutely are sex specific differences in cancer - they're actually quite common. There are still reasons that this is a problematic result:
Ultimately, the study shows that if RF exposure causes cancer it isn't a very strong carcinogen. The effect that the NTP is claiming is so small that it's very hard to separate from noise, only a handful of changes in either the control group or study group would have eliminated the statistical significance of this finding. Given the design of the experiment I expected that if it was to find something it would be a very clear signal, but this is a borderline result that I highly doubt will be reproducible.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 04 2018, @01:34PM
While it may not be a strong carcinogen, it seems to be a stronger one than tobacco smoke, which still gets a huge deal made about it.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S094029930500045X [sciencedirect.com]