Does EMF cause cancer?

Question

Is there evidence that EMF exposure causes cancer?

Answer

Not established, and the evidence points in different directions depending on which field and which study you look at. IARC classifies both RF fields (2011) and ELF magnetic fields (2002) as Group 2B, 'possibly carcinogenic' — a statement about limited evidence, not about the size of any risk. The NTP and Ramazzini animal studies found rare heart tumours in male rats, while the 2024 WHO-commissioned systematic review of human studies found no association between mobile phone use and brain or head-and-neck cancers, including for long-term heavy users. This site lists each study with what it found and what it can and cannot establish, rather than resolving the dispute.

Related records

• IARC classification of radiofrequency fields as Group 2B (2011)

  IARC classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) based on limited evidence for glioma and acoustic neuroma from heavy mobile phone use.

  Research record

• NTP rodent carcinogenicity studies of cell phone radiofrequency radiation (2018)

  Two-year whole-body exposure studies found clear evidence of malignant schwannomas of the heart in male rats at exposure levels above the human whole-body limit, with no such finding in female rats or in mice.

  Research record

• WHO-commissioned systematic review of RF exposure and cancer in humans (2024)

  A systematic review and meta-analysis of human observational studies found no association between mobile phone use and brain or head-and-neck cancers, including for long-term and heavy use.

  Research record

• IARC Group 2B

  'Possibly carcinogenic to humans' — a statement about how strong the evidence is, not about how large any risk is.

  Glossary

Sources

1. iarc-2b-rf IARC classifies radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B), Press Release N° 208 — International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2011. government, link checked 2026-08-12.
2. iarc-monograph-80 IARC Monographs Volume 80: Non-Ionizing Radiation, Part 1: Static and Extremely Low-Frequency Electric and Magnetic Fields — International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2002. peer-reviewed, link checked 2026-08-12.
3. ntp-cellphone Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radiation Studies — National Toxicology Program, U.S. NIEHS. government, link checked 2026-08-12.
4. who-rf-review-2024 The effect of exposure to radiofrequency fields on cancer risk in the general and working population: a systematic review of human observational studies — Environment International (WHO-commissioned systematic review), 2024. peer-reviewed, link checked 2026-08-12.