Cellphone users 'not at risk'

2005-08-31 15:07

London - Cellphone users can dial without concern after another study found no evidence of a link between the ubiquitous devices and brain tumours.

The study, conducted by the London-based Institute of Cancer Research, and published this week on the British Journal of Cancer's website, found no increased risks of a rare benign tumour in the nerve that links the ear to the brain.

It echoed the findings of a similar study by Swedish investigators last year and of scores of other studies investigating a possible link between the use of cellular phones and brain cancer.

Researchers questioned 678 patients already diagnosed with the tumour - acoustic neuroma - and 3 553 who did not have it, about their cellphone use. There was no increased risk of tumour associated with using the phones for at least 10 years.

Retrospective questionnaires are not considered the most accurate method of determining a link between behaviour and disease. Several previous studies, using more rigorous methods, have also found no evidence that the phones pose a health risk.

However, scientists have said it may not be a good idea for children to use the phones for long periods because their brains are still developing. Also, it is too early to tell what the effects of long-term use will be on adults.

"The results of our study suggest that there is no substantial risk in the first decade after starting use," said lead investigator Anthony Swerdlow.

"Whether there are longer-term risks remains unknown, reflecting the fact that this is a relatively recent technology."

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- AP