Keep calling

Scientists from

have published results from the largest investigation to date into 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.

The study, published online in the British Journal of Cancer, was conducted in the UK, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, which are countries where mobile phones were introduced particularly early.

Data were collected from 678 people with acoustic neuroma and 3,553 people who did not have acoustic neuroma (“controls”). Participants were asked in detail about their past mobile phone use (for instance length and frequency of calls, makes and models of phones used, and extent of hands-free use), and also about other factors that might affect their risk of acoustic neuroma.