Pulsed high-power microwaves do not impair the functions of skin normal and cancer cells in vitro: a short-term biological evaluation

•Pulsed high power microwave (MW) at a frequency 3.5 GHz was generated.•MW did not induce cell death in skin fibroblast normal cells and melanoma cells.•MW did not alter the morphology of melanoma cells.•Gene expression related to ATP synthesis and proliferation can get altered by MW.•MW selectively stimulated viability and proliferation of only melanoma cells.