This article was published in 2012 and updated in October 2026.
Ever since mobile phones became popular, people have wondered whether the radio waves they emit could harm our health — and in particular, whether they could cause brain cancer. In 2011 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B). That sounds alarming, but it’s the agency’s category for agents where the evidence is limited and a link can’t be ruled out — not proof of harm. So what does the research say today?
What the big studies found
- The Danish cohort study, one of the largest ever, followed around 420,000 mobile phone subscribers and found no increased risk of brain tumours or leukaemia.
- The Interphone study compared thousands of people with brain tumours to healthy people in 13 countries. Overall it found no increased risk. A slightly higher risk among the heaviest users was attributed largely to problems with the study design, because it relied on participants remembering how much they had used their phones years earlier.
- The UK Million Women Study followed hundreds of thousands of women for many years and found no link between mobile phone use and brain tumours.
- A major WHO-commissioned systematic review, published in 2024 in the journal Environment International, analysed 63 studies from 1994 to 2022 and found no association between mobile phone use and brain cancer or other head and neck cancers — not even for people who had used mobile phones for ten years or more or who made the most calls. Some scientists have criticised the review’s methods, and IARC plans to re-evaluate radiofrequency fields in the coming years.
Cancer rates haven’t risen
Mobile phone use has exploded since the 1990s. If phones caused brain cancer, we would expect brain tumour rates to rise. Cancer registries in many countries, including the Nordic countries, the UK, the US and Australia, have not seen such an increase. Because cancer can take many years to develop, researchers keep monitoring these trends.
How mobile phone radiation works
Mobile phones send and receive radio waves, a form of non-ionising radiation. Unlike X-rays or UV light, radio waves don’t have enough energy to break chemical bonds or damage DNA directly. Their main known biological effect is slight heating of tissue. International safety limits keep this heating far below levels that could cause harm. These limits are measured as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) — for example, 2 W/kg for the head in the EU and 1.6 W/kg in the US — and every phone must stay within them.
What about 5G?
5G uses radio waves in similar frequency ranges to earlier networks, plus higher frequencies in some places that penetrate even less deeply into the body. The same safety limits apply. Health authorities have found no evidence that 5G poses a health risk at these exposure levels.
Simple ways to reduce your exposure
The scientific consensus is that mobile phones used within safety limits have not been shown to cause cancer. If you still want to reduce your exposure, a few easy habits help:
- Use the loudspeaker or a headset (wired or Bluetooth) for long calls, so the phone isn’t held against your head.
- Prefer text messages or video calls with the phone held away from your body.
- Avoid long calls when the signal is very weak — the phone then transmits at higher power.
- Encourage children to use the same habits, since they will be exposed over a longer lifetime.
The bottom line
After decades of research and billions of users, there is no convincing evidence that mobile phones cause brain cancer. Research continues, but the biggest health risks from phones today are more everyday ones — like using them while driving. For phone-friendly accessories such as headsets, see our guide to buying mobile phone accessories.
Sources: IARC press release on radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (2011); Karipidis et al., “The effect of exposure to radiofrequency fields on cancer risk in the general and working population: A systematic review of human observational studies – Part I: Most researched outcomes”, Environment International (2024); WHO fact sheet on electromagnetic fields and public health: mobile phones.
Ash
May 12. 2012
They do not cause cancer!!!
PrIyAnGsHu
May 13. 2012
Great post buddy ! Does mobile phones really cause Cancer ?
Peter
May 29. 2012
I guess no one could really 100% sure! Some say yes, while others say no. But one cell phone risk is for sure and that’s using it wrongly may cause death such as those using cell phones while driving. That’s very dangerous!
Sylvia
May 14. 2012
Most of us do not really know if cellphones are bad for us in the long run, but from what I’ve heard, it’s best to hold your cellphone on the left ear when doing calls, not the right (not sure but I remember it’s less harmful to the brain that way).
kimberly
May 15. 2012
i was very surprised to read this post. i never knew that we can get cancer by excessive usage of mobile phones.but we can avoid it by taking proper precautions. can you explain in detail what precautions can we take to avoid getting cancer.
Gaurang
May 16. 2012
Yes definitely, mobile phones are the reason for causing radiation in our body and thereby weakening our immunity system.
TracyAnn0312
May 16. 2012
Some of them can cause cancer because of the radiation it produces but most of the are good. As listed in the study above most people who uses cellphones are exposed to the radiation it may produce that is why it can be cancerous. However, there can also be advantage you can get from it’s radiation because some bad cells will die.
Rahul
May 16. 2012
Yes mobile phone can be a thing of great danger because of the serious effects of the radiations being used in the communication.
Brain
May 16. 2012
Mobile phone causes cancer because of some radiations of call. When ever call connected with satellite tower it creates particulate radiations. Thanks for giving information about mobile phone and cancer.
Maya
May 17. 2012
I think that mobile phones doesn’t cause cancer. If so, they will not be manufactured as much as they are right now. And I also think that mobile phones undergo a certain test before coming out of the market.
Ashok
May 17. 2012
This is necessary awareness to people about Cancer from mobile phone, this is very fetal disease, i like your effort for aware about this. disease. thanks for sharing good info.
Ken
May 17. 2012
I do think it is always at the back of our minds if phones/headphones cause cancer however there are so many factors that cause cancer that in my opinion it is worth living life as you choose and let chance take hold of how your life is going to live/end.
Rashmi
May 21. 2012
This is a question that is in the newspapers and blogs for a lot of years. There is not a clear answer to this. But, since mobiles are a part of our everyday life, lets make sure we are using them as short as we can.
kunal
May 22. 2012
hey really a helpful article.. thanks for enlightning us with the facts… i surely agree with u and kind of explanation u gave…
Crescent
May 27. 2012
While radiation can cause cancer it can also do absolutely nothing at all. There are various thresholds for radiation, at certain levels it can cause radiation poisoning while at others it can permanently mutate your cellular structure over time.
Dentist
May 28. 2012
Maybe, we should still be aware of this. My mom keeps on telling me that over exposure on mobile phones can lead to cancer. I still don’t believe this things, but Mobile phone Manufacturers should conduct a study regarding this matter. Small amount of radiation is still bad right? And being aware is not cowardliness.
formation
Jun 01. 2012
I sure that MOBILE PHONE cause cancer because of radiation !!!!
noel
Jun 05. 2012
i always see this words on advertising and i still don’t believe it. how a mobile phone can gives you a cancer? maybe it’s true but i noticed that in this world if you abuse you will get something back. so if you abuse with phones you can get something but maybe not an cancer.
abdurrazaq
Jun 25. 2012
probably because of mobile phone electromagnetic radiation issue
dodo
Jul 14. 2012
it’s a new info for me. 🙂
whether this is true or not. I think we should be cautious against the use of the phone too often, to be honest I agree with that statement because radiation can indeed cause problems in your body health…
Sarthak Kaushik
Aug 11. 2012
GREAT article, I myself believe that most of the people are oblivious of the fact that the prolong use of mobile causes such cancer
Gargi
Sep 20. 2013
Is it so?? That means, technology also effects our body?? But this an only source through which we easily connect to peoples…there are no precautionary options available…now I am worried whether I should use cell phone or not???