Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Cancer
30 Aug 2005 - Scientists from The Institute of Cancer Research have published results on the relationship between mobile phone use and the risk of acoustic neuroma, a nervous system tumour that occurs close to where mobile phones are held to the head. The study suggests there is no substantial risk of this tumour in the first 10 years after starting mobile phone use. However, an increased risk after longer term use could not be ruled out.
Acoustic neuromas are benign tumours that grow in the nerve that connects the ear and inner ear to the brain. They often cause loss of hearing in the affected ear and inner ear and a loss of balance.
The study found no relation between the risk of acoustic neuroma and the number of years for which mobile phones had been used, the time since first use, the total hours of use or the total number of calls, nor were there any relations separately for analogue or digital phone use. There was relatively little information and the results did not give a clear interpretation for the risk of tumours after use of a phone for 10 years or longer.
One of the study’s senior investigators, The Institute’s Professor Anthony Swerdlow, commented: “There has been public concern about whether there is a link between brain cancer risk and use of mobile phones. The risk of acoustic neuroma is of particular interest in this context because of the proximity of the acoustic nerve to the handset. The results of our study suggest that there is no substantial risk in the first decade after starting use. Whether there are longer-term risks remains unknown, reflecting the fact that this is a relatively recent technology”.
Find out more about Professor Swerdlow’s research and The Institute's Section of Epidemiology
