BRITAIN: Ten years of using a mobile phone results in no increased risk of a tumour in the nerve connecting the ear to the brain, said researchers yesterday.
But amid public concern about a possible link, the scientists who conducted the largest study on the subject so far said they could not rule out a higher risk over a longer period.
"The results of our study suggest there is no substantial risk in the first decade after starting use," said Prof Anthony Swerdlow of the Institute of Cancer Research. "Whether there are longer-term risks remains unknown, reflecting the fact that this is a relatively recent technology."
The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, focused on the risk of acoustic neuroma (benign tumours which grow in the nerve connecting the ear and inner ear to the brain, close to where handsets are held).
Research has also investigated the possible association of other kinds of brain tumour with mobile phones, but scientists say acoustic neuroma would be a prime candidate to be affected.
Previous independent studies have found mobile phone radiation may have some effect on the human body, such as heating up the brain and causing headaches and nausea.
But no study that could be independently repeated has proved mobile phones have permanent harmful effects. The mobile phone industry argues there is no conclusive evidence that electromagnetic radiation causes harm. About 780 million mobile phones are expected to be sold this year, and nearly two billion people use one.
The institute's analysis pooled studies conducted in Britain, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden - all countries in which mobiles were introduced early.
Cancer charities welcomed the news, but warned users should continue to be monitored.