Many studies have shown links between mobile phone use and benign tumours, like acoustic neuromas. The findings of the latest pooled analysis [1] of two studies investigating links with malignant brain tumours included:

Lifetime use exceeding 2,000 hours

• Increased risk of developing a malignant tumour: analogue (original) phones - sixfold, digital phones - fourfold, cordless phones - double

• Increased risk of developing a malignant tumour on the side of the head used when phoning: analogue (original) phones - double, digital phones - double, cordless phones - double

Lifetime use exceeding ten years

• Increased risk of developing a high-grade astrocytoma brain tumour: analogue (original) phones - threefold, digital phones - fourfold, cordless phones - double

Ed.- Two thousand hours is an incredibly short time for low-level exposure to a carcinogen to cause a biological effect. That would be, for instance, two hours use a day for just over two and a half years.

ANOTHER ARTICLE BELOW

Two studies found that using mobile phones had a biological effect, but did not find any increased risk of developing brain tumours for phone users. The biological effect shown was that right-handed users had a higher probability of developing a brain tumour on the right side of the brain, left-handed users on the left.

One of the studies, however, did find a two to threefold increase in neuroepithelial tumours - a rare form of brain cancer - although there was no 'dose-response relationship'. Lighter users ran higher risks than heavier users (by Joshua Muscat of New York's American Health Foundation).