Cell phone and breast cancer: The cell phone-generated pulsed 217Hz ELF magnetic field increases angiogenesis

Background: Over the last decades, there has been an increasing trend in using cell phones which are exposing us to Radio-Frequency (RF) and Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) magnetic field with various known and unknown biological effects. This protective study aimed to investigate the impact of environmental 217 Hz (as an ELF) magnetic fields generated by mobile phones on angiogenesis as an essential factor in tumor growth, in vitro and in vivo. Material and Methods: Magnetic fields with amplitudes of 0.5, 6, 22, 44, 65 & 159 µT were exposed on Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and proliferation and viability of cells were measured. 3D angiogenesis assay was done by culturing HUVEC-covered microbeads in collagen gel and counting the number of sprouting micro-vessels per microbead. The percent of CD31 positive areas in breast tumor tissues of mice was assessed in the in vivo study. Results: Results showed that some of the applied amplitudes could increase proliferation as well as the viability of HUVECs. Furthermore, 22 and 44 µT magnetic fields could significantly increase angiogenesis of breast tumor in mouse. Conclusions: There is a promoting effect from ELF magnetic fields generated by cell phones on the angiogenesis of tumors. It will be helpful if we recommend cancer patients not to be exposed to cell phones.