Report of final results regarding brain and heart tumors in Sprague-Dawley rats exposed from prenatal life until natural death to mobile phone radiofrequency field representative of a 1.8 GHz GSM base station environmental emission

Abstract

Final results regarding brain & heart tumors in rats exposed from prenatal life until natural death to mobile phone RF (1.8 GHz GSM base station environmental emission) Falcioni et al (2018). Report of final results regarding brain and heart tumors in Sprague-Dawley rats exposed from prenatal life until natural death to mobile phone radiofrequency field representative of a 1.8 GHz GSM base station environmental emission. Environmental Research. 2018 Mar 7. pii: S0013-9351(18)30036-7. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.01.037. Abstract Background: In 2011, IARC classified radiofrequency radiation (RFR) as possible human carcinogen (Group 2B). According to IARC, animals studies, as well as epidemiological ones, showed limited evidence of carcinogenicity. In 2016, the NTP published the first results of its long-term bioassays on near field RFR, reporting increased incidence of malignant glial tumors of the brain and heart Schwannoma in rats exposed to GSM - and CDMA - modulated cell phone RFR. The tumors observed in the NTP study are of the type similar to the ones observed in some epidemiological studies of cell phone users. Objectives: The Ramazzini Institute (RI) performed a life-span carcinogenic study on Sprague-Dawley rats to evaluate the carcinogenic effects of RFR in the situation of far field, reproducing the environmental exposure to RFR generated by 1.8 GHz GSM antenna of the radio base stations of mobile phone. This is the largest long-term study ever performed in rats on the health effects of RFR, including 2448 animals. In this article, we reported the final results regarding brain and heart tumors. Methods: Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed from prenatal life until natural death to a 1.8 GHz GSM far field of 0, 5, 25, 50 V/m with a whole-body exposure for 19 h/day. Results: A statistically significant increase in the incidence of heart Schwannomas was observed in treated male rats at the highest dose (50 V/m). Furthermore, an increase in the incidence of heart Schwann cells hyperplasia was observed in treated male and female rats at the highest dose (50 V/m), although this was not statistically significant. An increase in the incidence of malignant glial tumors was observed in treated female rats at the highest dose (50 V/m), although not statistically significant. Conclusions: The RI findings on far field exposure to RFR are consistent with and reinforce the results of the NTP study on near field exposure, as both reported an increase in the incidence of tumors of the brain and heart in RFR-exposed Sprague-Dawley rats. These tumors are of the same histotype of those observed in some epidemiological studies on cell phone users. These experimental studies provide sufficient evidence to call for the reevaluation of IARC conclusions regarding the carcinogenic potential of RFR in humans. Among male rats, the incidence of heart schwannoma and hyperplasia was 0.7% (3 of 412) in the control group, 1.2% (5/401) in the 5 volts/meter (V/m) group, 1.0% (2/209) in the 25 V/m group, and 3.9% (8/207) in the 50 V/m group. The 50 V/m group had significantly greater incidence than the control group (p < .02). Among male rats, the incidence of glioma and glial cell hyperplasia in the control group was 0.0% (0 of 412), 0.7% (3/401) in the 5 volts/meter (V/m) group, 1.4% (3/209) in the 25 V/m group, and 0.0% (0/207) in the 50 V/m group. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov This paper took archival tumor samples directly from the Ramazzini Institute’s 2018 far-field RF study (the one that found statistically significant increases in heart schwannomas in male rats at very low exposures) and performed detailed histological + immunohistochemical + genetic profiling. Key finding on morphological similarity: The rat gliomas “histologically resemble low-grade human gliomas” and the gliomas and cardiac schwannomas are described as “morphologically similar to low-grade human gliomas.” The paper explicitly notes that about 25–27% of the mutations found in these RF-exposed rat tumors have direct homologs to known human cancer mutations (COSMIC database), strengthening the translational relevance to human health. It also examined the cardiac schwannomas (the same rare tumor type increased in both Ramazzini and NTP studies) and found they harbor mutations in cancer-related genes (e.g., Setd2, Pik3ca, Nf1). This is the “morphological similarity study” people point to when they say the Ramazzini tumors aren’t just “rat-specific weirdness” — they look and behave like the tumors seen in humans, giving the findings much stronger weight for human risk assessment.

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

A statistically significant increase in heart Schwannomas incidence was observed in male rats at the highest exposure (50 V/m). Increases in heart Schwann cells hyperplasia and malignant glial tumors were observed at the highest dose but were not statistically significant. Tumors showed morphological similarity to low-grade human gliomas and harbored mutations homologous to human cancer mutations.

Outcomes measured

• heart Schwannomas
• heart Schwann cells hyperplasia
• malignant glial tumors

Limitations

• Statistical significance achieved only for heart Schwannomas in males at highest dose
• Other tumor increases not statistically significant
• Study conducted in rats, extrapolation to humans requires caution

Suggested hubs

• 5g-policy (0.8)
  Study on 1.8 GHz GSM base station RF exposure relevant to policy on mobile communications
• who-icnirp (0.9)
  Findings call for reevaluation of IARC classification and relate to carcinogenicity assessments

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    "study_type": "animal",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "RF",
        "source": "mobile phone base station",
        "frequency_mhz": 1800,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": "from prenatal life until natural death, 19 h/day whole-body exposure"
    },
    "population": "Sprague-Dawley rats",
    "sample_size": 2448,
    "outcomes": [
        "heart Schwannomas",
        "heart Schwann cells hyperplasia",
        "malignant glial tumors"
    ],
    "main_findings": "A statistically significant increase in heart Schwannomas incidence was observed in male rats at the highest exposure (50 V/m). Increases in heart Schwann cells hyperplasia and malignant glial tumors were observed at the highest dose but were not statistically significant. Tumors showed morphological similarity to low-grade human gliomas and harbored mutations homologous to human cancer mutations.",
    "effect_direction": "harm",
    "limitations": [
        "Statistical significance achieved only for heart Schwannomas in males at highest dose",
        "Other tumor increases not statistically significant",
        "Study conducted in rats, extrapolation to humans requires caution"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "moderate",
    "confidence": 0.6999999999999999555910790149937383830547332763671875,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "radiofrequency radiation",
        "mobile phone base station",
        "brain tumors",
        "heart tumors",
        "Schwannoma",
        "glioma",
        "carcinogenicity",
        "Sprague-Dawley rats"
    ],
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