Preliminary results from a new federal study show bombardment by intense mobile phone radiation is a likely cause of cancer in rats but if this outcome is also true in humans "is not currently completely worked out."

The study findings, while confusing, conclude the potential risk to humans from mobile phone radiation is very small.

Like Us on Facebook

Conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the study looked at "non-ionizing radiofrequency" or the specific type of radiation mobile phones emit. To find the answer, the experiment bombarded baby rats with mobile phone radiation from the womb throughout the first two years of life for nine hours a day and discovered a slight increase in brain tumors in male rats.

It found tumors in up to three percent of male rats, which was described as low by the study's authors. Strangely, females weren't affected at all. Even stranger, rats not exposed to the radiation died at double the rate of rats that were. The puzzling result has seen other federal scientists highlight flaws in the research.

Study author John Bucher, however, said the study found what he called a likely cause of cancer in rats. But he warned that how that applies to humans "is not currently completely worked out. This may have relevance. It may have no relevance."

On the other hand, Dr. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President for the American Cancer Society, said this "is the first study to actually show that non-ionizing radiation (causes) cancer."

The ACS praised the study for "evidence that cellphone signals could potentially impact human health" but noted it didn't quite address the real risks to people.

"If cellphones cause cancer, they don't cause a lot of cancer," said Dr. Brawley. "It's not as carcinogenic as beef."

He said people should be a lot more concerned about distractions caused by mobile phones such as distracted driving that causes more deaths, he said.

The opposite if non-ionizing radiation, ionizing radiation can be a health hazard. Exposure to it can cause cancer, genetic damage, radiation sickness and burns.

TagsCancer, Mobile Phones, National Institutes of Health