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Cellular Telephone Use and Cancer: Questions and Answers 

1. Why is there concern that cellular telephones may cause cancer? 

There are three main reasons why people are concerned that cellular telephones (also 

known as “wireless” or “mobile” telephones) may cause certain types of cancer. 

• Cellular telephones emit radiofrequency (RF) energy, a form of radiation, which is 

under investigation for its effects on the human body (1). 

• Cellular telephone technology is relatively new and is still changing, so there are no 

long-term studies of the effects of RF energy from cellular telephones on the human 

body (1). 

• The number of cellular telephone users is increasing rapidly. According to the 

Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), there are now more 

than 180 million subscribers to cellular telephone service in the United States. This 

has increased from 110 million users just 3 years ago. Experts estimate that by 2010, 

there will be 2.2 billion subscribers worldwide. 

Key Points 

• Cellular telephones emit radiofrequency (RF) energy (see Question 2). 

• Exposure to high levels of RF energy can heat body tissue, but RF energy 

exposures from cellular telephones are too low to cause significant tissue 

heating (see Question 2). 

• Concerns have been raised that RF energy from cellular telephones may 

pose a cancer risk to users (see Questions 1 and 2). 

• Researchers are studying tumors of the brain and central nervous system 

(CNS) because cellular telephones are held next to the head when used 

(see Question 4). 

• Studies have not shown any consistent link between cellular telephone use 

and cancer, but scientists feel that additional research is needed before 

firm conclusions can be drawn (see Question 6). 
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For these reasons, it is important to learn whether RF energy affects human health, and to 

provide reassurance if it does not. 

2. What is RF energy and how can it affect the body? 

RF energy, also called radiowaves, is a form of electromagnetic radiation. 

Electromagnetic radiation can be ionizing (high-frequency) or non-ionizing 

(low-frequency) (2). RF energy belongs to the non-ionizing type of electromagnetic 

radiation. It is known that ionizing radiation, such as that produced by x-ray machines, 

can present a health risk at high levels of exposure. However, it is not yet known 

whether non-ionizing radiation poses a cancer risk (2). 

 

The most important use of RF energy is for telecommunications (2). In the United States, 

cellular telephones operate in a frequency ranging from about 1,800 to 2,200 megahertz 

(MHz) (1). In that range, the radiation produced is in the form of non-ionizing RF 

energy. AM/FM radios, VHF/UHF televisions, and cordless telephones (telephones that 

have a base unit connected to the telephone wiring in a house) operate at somewhat lower 

radio frequencies than cellular telephones; microwave ovens, radar, and satellite stations 

operate at somewhat higher radio frequencies (2). 

RF energy produces heat, which can increase body temperature and damage those parts 

exposed to it (1, 2). It is generally agreed that the amount of RF energy encountered by 

the general public is too low to produce significant tissue heating or an increase in body 

temperature. However, it is also agreed that further research is needed to determine what 

effects, if any, low-level non-ionizing RF energy has on the body and whether it is 

dangerous to people (2). 

3. How much RF energy are cellular telephone users exposed to? 

A cellular telephone user’s level of exposure to RF energy depends on several factors. 

These include the number and duration of calls, the amount of cellular telephone traffic at 

a given time, the distance from the nearest cellular base station (a low-powered radio 

transmitter that communicates with a user’s cellular telephone), the quality of the 

transmission, how far the antenna is extended, and the size of the handset. 

A cellular telephone’s main source of RF energy is its antenna. The antenna of hand-held 

cellular telephones is in the handset, which is typically held against the side of the head 

while the telephone is in use. The closer the antenna is to the head, the greater a person’s 

expected exposure to RF energy. The amount of RF energy absorbed decreases rapidly 

with increasing distance between the antenna and the user. 

Hands-free kits are a relatively recent feature that can be used with cellular telephones for 

convenience and comfort. These systems reduce the amount of RF energy exposure to 

the head because the phone, which is the source of RF energy, is not placed against the 

head (2). However, most studies conducted on cellular telephone use and cancer risk 
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have focused on hand-held models not equipped with hands-free systems, since they 

deliver the most RF energy to the user. 

The intensity of RF energy emitted by cellular telephones depends on the level of the 

signal sent to or from the nearest base station (1). A geographic area serviced by a base 

unit is often referred to as a “cell,” which is why these devices are called “cellular” 

telephones. 

When a call is placed from a cellular telephone, a signal is sent from the antenna of the 

phone to the nearest base station antenna. The base station routes the call through a 

switching center, where the call can be transferred to another cellular telephone, another 

base station, or to the local land-line telephone system. The farther a cellular telephone is 

from the base station antenna, the higher the power level needed to maintain the 

connection. This distance, in part, determines the amount of RF energy exposure to the 

user. 

4. What parts of the body may be affected during cellular telephone use? 

Because hand-held cellular telephones are used close to the head, there is concern that the 

RF energy produced by these devices may affect the brain and nervous system tissue in 

the head. Researchers have focused on whether RF energy can cause malignant 

(cancerous) brain tumors such as gliomas (cancers of the brain that begin in the glial 

cells, which are cells that surround and support nerve cells), as well as benign 

(non-cancerous) tumors, such as acoustic neuromas (tumors that arise in the cells of the 

nerve that supplies the ear) and meningiomas (tumors that occur in the meninges, which 

are the membranes that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord) (1). 

5. What studies have been done? What do they show? 

 

Many studies have already been done, and research is ongoing. A study funded by 

Wireless Technology Research LLC and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) was 

conducted in five academic medical centers in the United States. The study analyzed the 

possible link between brain cancer and cellular telephone use between 1994 and 1998. 

The study compared a group of 469 men and women with brain cancer to a group of 422 

men and women who did not have brain cancer. Results of the study, published in 2000, 

found that the use of hand-held cellular telephones was unrelated to the risk of brain 

cancer, but additional studies covering longer periods of cellular telephone use were 

recommended (3). 

The results of another large NCI-funded study of cellular telephones and brain tumors 

were published in 2001. It focused on 782 patients with one of three types of brain 

tumors (glioma, meningioma, or acoustic neuroma) at three medical centers between 

1994 and 1998. The control group consisted of 799 patients at the same hospitals who 

did not have brain tumors. The researchers did not find an increased risk of brain cancer 

among cellular telephone users. The results showed no evidence of increasing risk with 

increasing years of use, or average minutes of use per day. The study also found that 
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brain tumors did not occur more often than expected on the side of the head on which 

participants reported using their phone (4). 

More recently, a series of multinational case-control studies (studies that compare two 

groups of people: those with the disease or condition under study (cases), and a very 

similar group of people who do not have the disease or condition (controls)), collectively 

called INTERPHONE, have been developed and are being coordinated by the 

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The primary objective of these 

studies is to assess whether RF energy exposure from cellular telephones is associated 

with an increased risk of cancer. The participating scientists are also exploring other 

possible causes of brain tumors besides RF energy, including external (environmental) 

and internal (endogenous) risk factors. Genetic (inherited) factors will be studied in 

collaboration with the NCI consortium of brain cancer studies. Participating countries 

include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, New 

Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (5). 

The results of the INTERPHONE study are now being published. The first two articles, 

both published in November 2004, examine the use of cellular telephones and the risk of 

the benign tumor acoustic neuroma. A Danish study compared 106 individuals having 

acoustic neuroma with a control group of 212 people without this condition. The study 

showed no increased risk of acoustic neuroma in long-term (10 years or more) cellular 

telephone users when compared to short-term users. Additionally, there was no increase 

in the incidence of tumors on the side of the head where the phone was usually held (6). 

A Swedish study, however, compared 148 individuals with acoustic neuroma to 604 

healthy individuals. This study suggests there is an increased risk of acoustic neuroma in 

long-term cellular telephone users, but not in short-term users (7). 

Other studies from INTERPHONE investigated whether there is a relationship between 

cellular telephone use and the risk of the brain tumors meningioma and glioma. A 

Danish study, published in 2005, compared 175 people with meningioma and 252 people 

with glioma to a control group of 822 disease-free individuals. This study demonstrated 

no link between meningioma or glioma and cellular telephone use (8). A Swedish study, 

published in 2005, compared 273 individuals with meningioma and 371 people with 

gliomas to 674 people who did not have these conditions. This study also showed that 

people who use cellular telephones are not at an increased risk of meningioma or glioma 

(9). 

Overall, research has not consistently demonstrated a link between cellular telephone use 

and cancer or any other adverse health effect. 

6. Why aren’t the results of the studies consistent? 

Scientists have had to assess how much RF energy people have been exposed to by 

interviewing individuals involved in a particular study about their cellular telephone 

habits (including frequency of use and duration of calls). Because of this, the accuracy of 

the data collected is subject to the memory of the people interviewed. Recently, 
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however, RF-energy-measurement meters have been developed that will accurately 

measure RF energy exposure (1). 

Additionally, cellular telephones have only been widely available for a relatively short 

period of time (since the 1990s), and cellular technology continues to change (1). For 

example, older studies evaluated RF exposure from analog telephones; today, most 

cellular telephones use digital technology. (Analog and digital telephones operate at 

different frequencies and power levels.) Another new technology is Bluetooth, a wireless 

technology that allows devices, such as cellular telephones and headsets, to communicate 

with each other using short-range radio frequency. 

Furthermore, brain tumors develop over many years. Scientists have been unable to 

follow cellular telephone users consistently for the amount of time it might take for a 

brain tumor to develop (1). 

Although research has not consistently demonstrated a link between cellular telephone 

use and cancer, scientists still caution that more research needs to be done before 

conclusions can be drawn about the risk of cancer from cellular telephones (1). 

7. Do children have a higher risk of developing cancer due to cellular telephone use 

than adults? 

There is no evidence that cellular telephone use poses more of a threat to children than to 

adults (2). However, no study populations to date have included children, who are 

increasingly heavy users of cellular telephones and are likely to accumulate many years 

of exposure during their lives (1). 

In addition, children are at greatest risk from agents known to cause brain and nervous 

system cancers because their nervous systems are still developing. If RF energy from 

cellular telephones is proven to cause cancer, researchers would expect children to be 

more susceptible than adults. Again, however, there is no evidence of this to date (1). 

8. What can cellular telephone users do to reduce their exposure to RF? 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suggested some steps that cellular 

telephone users can take if they are concerned about potential health risks from cellular 

telephones: 

• Reserve the use of cellular telephones for shorter conversations, or for when a 

conventional phone is not available. 

• Switch to a type of cellular telephone with a hands-free device that will place more 

distance between the antenna and the phone user. 

Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates interstate 

and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable, provides 

consumers with information on human exposure to RF energy from cellular telephones 
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and other devices at http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety on the Internet. This Web page 

allows consumers to find information about the specific absorption rate (SAR) of cellular 

telephones produced and marketed within the last 1 to 2 years. The SAR corresponds to 

the relative amount of RF energy absorbed into the head of a cellular telephone user. 

Consumers can access this information using the phone’s FCC ID number, which is 

usually located on the case of the phone. 

9. Can cellular telephones interfere with medical equipment? 

Yes. Cellular telephones can interfere with pacemakers (electrical devices, implanted in 

the chest, that stimulate or steady the heartbeat), implanted defibrillators (electrical 

devices that restore a normal heartbeat by applying an electrical shock to the heart), and 

hearing aids. However, standards have been established that will allow manufacturers to 

ensure that cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from cellular telephone RF (2). 

Selected References

1. Ahlbom A, Green A, Kheifets L, et al. Epidemiology of health effects on radiofrequency 

exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives 2004; 112(14):1741–1754. 

2. Food and Drug Administration (2003). Cell Phone Facts: Consumer Information on 

Wireless Phones. Retrieved May 10, 2005, from http://www.fda.gov/cellphones/qa.html. 

3. Muscat JE, Malkin MG, Thompson S, et al. Handheld cellular telephone use and risk of 

brain cancer. Journal of the American Medical Association 2000; 284(23):3001–3007. 

4. Inskip PD, Tarone RE, Hatch EE, et al. Cellular-telephone use and brain tumors. New 

England Journal of Medicine 2001; 344(2):79–86. 

5. International Agency for Research on Cancer (2004). The INTERPHONE Study. Lyon, 

France: International Agency for Research on Cancer. Retrieved May 10, 2005, from 

http://www.iarc.fr/ENG/Units/RCAd.html. 

6. Christensen HC, Schuz J, Kosteljanetz M, et al. Cellular telephone use and risk of 

acoustic neuroma. American Journal of Epidemiology 2004; 159(3):277–283. 

7. Lonn S, Ahlbom A, Hall P, Feychting M. Mobile phone use and the risk of acoustic 

neuroma. Epidemiology 2004; 15(6):653–659. 

8. Christensen HC, Schuz J, Kosteljanetz M, et al. Cellular telephones and risk for brain 

tumors: A population-based, incident case-control study. Neurology 2005; 64(7): 

1189–1195. 

9. Lonn S, Ahlbom A, Hall P, et al. Long-term mobile phone use and brain tumor risk. 

American Journal of Epidemiology 2005; 161(6):526–535. 
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# # # 

Related Resources

Publications (available at http://www.cancer.gov/publications) 

• National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 3.46, Magnetic Field Exposure and Cancer: 

Questions and Answers

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Resources

Cancer Information Service (toll-free)

 Telephone: 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) 

 TTY: 1–800–332–8615 

Online 

NCI’s Web site: http://www.cancer.gov 

LiveHelp, NCI’s live online assistance: 

https://cissecure.nci.nih.gov/livehelp/welcome.asp

This fact sheet was reviewed on 9/13/05