Mobile phone use does not raise the risk of cancer, at least in the first 10 years of use, according to research by the Institute of Cancer Research including data from five European countries and more than 4,000 people, reports BBC News. The latest data from the UK, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, included 678 people with acoustic neuroma and 3,553 without this form of cancer. This revealed no relation between the risk of acoustic neuroma and the number of years for which the mobile phones had been used, the time since first use, total hours of use or total number of calls. Nor was there any link with analogue or digital phones or whether or not a hands-free kit was used. On balance, the evidence suggests there is no substantial risk of acoustic neuroma in the first decade of use - but the possibility of some effect after longer periods remains open, the researchers concluded. The research is part of a bigger study that will be published next year.
