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# One reason why mobile phones can increase cancer risk
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/mobile_phones_can_increase_cancer_risk_0825160937/
- Published: 2016-08-25T10:35:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:28:14.000Z
- Description: Microwave radiation at GSM and UMTS phone frequencies inhibited 53BP1 foci, a marker of DNA double-strand break repair, in human fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells. The authors say this suggests a possible rise in leukemia and brain cancer risk.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Environment, Health News, #vivvo-import

Thursday Aug 25, 2016 (foodconsumer.org) -- Scientists in Sweden, Slovak Republic and Russia conducted a study and found evidence that suggests using mobile phones can potentially cause various cancers including leukemia and gliomas.

The study released in 2010 shows that microwaves or electromagnetic radiation emitted from mobile phones inhibited the formation of tumor suppressor TP53 binding protein 1 (53BP1) foci - a marker of DNA double-strand break repair activity in human primary fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells. This finding is consistent with what was found in a previous study led by the same authors with human lymphocytes.

Specifically, the scientists found the GSM (the Global System for Mobile Communication) carrier frequency at 915 MHz and UMTS (the Universal Global Telecommunications System) frequency at 1947.4 MHz induced the inhibition of 53BP1 foci in both types of cells - human primary fibroblast and mesenchymal stem cells. But the GSM carrier frequency at 905 MHz only affected stem cells. Inhibition of 53BP1 foci can decrease the ability of cells to correctly repair DNA double strand breaks. 

DNA double-strand breaks and their misrepair in stem cells are considered important for the origination of various leukemia and other malignancies. When exposed to a known carcinogen - ionizing radiation, cells are known to have increased amounts of DNA double strand breaks and 53BP1 foci. Increased amounts of 53BP1 foci are naturally needed to repair DNA double strand breaks. Also many cancers including leukemia are known to result from mutated stem cells, which are also responsible for metastasis of various cancers.

This study suggests that exposure to electromagnetic radio frequencies emitted from cell towers and mobile phones can increase risk of cancers like leukemia and brain cancer. Previous studies of long-term mobile phone users (more than 10 years) have found an association between long term use of mobile phones and drastically increased risk of glioma - a deadly brain cancer even though short term studies did not find such a link. (David Liu)

*Markovà E, Malmgren LO, Belyaev IY 2010\. Microwaves from Mobile Phones Inhibit 53BP1 Focus Formation* [*in Human Stem Cells More Strongly Than in Differentiated Cells: Possible Mechanistic Link to Cancer Risk. Environ Health Perspect 118:-. doi:10.1289/ehp.0900781*](http://whyfry.org/new-nih-study-microwaves-dna-damage-and-cancer/?ref=foodconsumer.org)