Mobile phone radiation was linked to cancer in a new study in rats, but even authors say not to worry

If your parents have insisted that you are going to have a brain tumor because of your smartphone, tell them to rest quietly. Yes, according to BuzzFeed News, the radiation of cell phones was associated with cancer in a new study, but before panicking, know that even the authors of the study say they do not have to worry.

On November 1, a federal health task force found that male rats could contract cancer with high doses of radio waves, but that these doses were four times higher than those that A 2G or 3G cellphone emits when you use it, reports BuzzFeed News. Moreover, this research showed these results only in male rats, and not in female rats, and certainly not in humans. So, basically, although the myth that "your cell phone gives you brain cancer" is not totally refuted, there is not really any evidence to support it.

This specific study on cancer in mobile phones, conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), has been going on for decades, according to The New York Times. It started under the Clinton administration, says The New York Times, costing $ 30 million and involving some 3,000 rodents. Rodents were exposed to radiation 9 hours a day for two years at a frequency equivalent to that of the second generation mobile phones of the 1990s, by which time the study began. The New York Times reports.

Today's 4G and 5G cell phones emit much higher frequencies than second-generation cell phones, says The New York Times, But scientists say that these radio waves are not as capable of penetrating the human body as older models. NTP is concerned that the study is being criticized for using outdated technology. They are therefore working on the construction of exhibition rooms that allow them to evaluate new technologies, The New York Times reports.

"We think the tumor reactions are real," NTP chief scientist John Bucher told BuzzFeed News at a phone briefing with reporters. But "these are much higher mobile phone radiation levels than people usually receive."

The potential link of cell phones with cancer is a field of study because phones emit radio-frequency radiation or radio waves emitted by their antennas, which is a form of electromagnetic radiation, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The parts of the body closest to the antenna can absorb this energy, says the NCI, which raises concerns about the increased risk of cancer (especially brain cancer).

But even the American Cancer Society does not see the need to worry more in light of the study. "The incidence of brain tumors in humans has been stable for 40 years," said Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society. United States today regarding the new research. "It's the most important scientific fact."

If the results of this study still worry you a little to put your smartphone to your ear, you can still choose to use earpieces to make your calls. (It could be better for your skin, anyway.) But know that, unlike myths, it is unlikely that you develop cancer by radiation from the cell phone.