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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Can cellphones really cause cancer? It’s been a question that’s dogged researchers for years.

However, a group of experts say the results of some tests are pretty surprising.

Millions of people constantly call, text, click, take pictures and play on cellphones.

Even the top cellular radiation researchers from around the world have a hard time untethering.

But, they gathered recently in North Carolina to talk about cellphone concerns and whether they really do increase the chances of developing cancer.

The panel voted that the results from years of testing on mice and rats were more significant than originally thought.

They say they found clear evidence that phone radiation caused tumors in the hearts of rats, which were similar to tumors in people.

“In humans, it’s seen in the vestibular nerve, in the ear, the acoustic nerve. We found it in the heart, although our animals were exposed in their whole body condition,” John Bucher said.

“While a given animal is not making a cellphone call, they are, throughout their short two-year lifetime getting the same exposure that we expect people to get in their 70-plus years of life,” Dr. Devra Davis, of Environmental Health Trust, said.

Activists are now calling for more protections, citing separate studies from France and Italy.

“Many brain tumor lawsuits going on right now that are waiting for a study like this to prove that people’s brain tumors were caused by their cellphone radiation,” Kevin Mottus, of the California Brain Tumor Association, said.

There are new concerns on the horizon as 5G, which is a stronger broadband system, is about to debut.

Some activists say the government has a responsibility to increase regulations.

“And I think it’s the responsibility of the ones making the phones to make them as safe as possible, and I’m sure they can do better than what we actually have,” Dr. Annie Sasco said.

Both activists and researchers agree that people can minimize any risk by holding phones away from the body when in use and not putting them in your pocket.