Electromagnetic Fields Shrink Tumors

New research shows that low-intensity fields can inhibit cancer cell proliferation.

Written byBob Grant

| 1 min read

Listen with Speechify

0:00

1:00

Very high magnification micrograph of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, NEPHRON

Researchers have demonstrated that small doses of electromagnetism can shrink liver and breast cancer cells without harming surrounding tissues, according to a report published recently in the British Journal of Cancer.

An international team, led by University of Alabama at Birmingham oncologist Boris Pasche, has shown that low-intensity electromagnetic fields can slow the proliferation of and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, which are involved with a deadly form of liver cancer, and breast cancer cells. The researchers used radiofrequency electromagnetic fields that were about 27 megahertz—100 to 1,000 times weaker than the fields generated by cell phones. "This is a truly novel technique," Pasche told The Guardian. "It is innocuous, can be tolerated for long periods of time, and could be used in combination with other ...

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Bob Grant
From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer. Before joining the team, he worked as a reporter at Audubon and earned a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. In his previous life, he pursued a career in science, getting a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Montana State University and a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Bob edited Reading Frames and other sections of the magazine.
View Full Profile