Study finds no link between mobile phone use, cancer

By Control Engineering Staff September 6, 2005

London, U.K. — Scientists from The Institute of Cancer Research in London report a recent study shows no link between the use of cell phones and cancer. The investigation into the relationship between mobile phone use and the risk of acoustic neuroma, a nervous system tumor that occurs close to where mobile phones are held to the head, suggests no substantial risk in the first 10 years after starting mobile phone use. Increased risk after longer term use was not ruled out.

Anthony Swerdlow, senior investigator at the Institute, said: “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.”

Increasingly wide use of cell phones for many applications, including in business, industry, and health care has made the topic a source of concern. Click here to read more on the topic from the Institute of Cancer Research.

—Control Engineering Daily News Desk
Jeanine Katzel, senior editor
jkatzel@reedbusiness.com