Mobile Phones Pose No Cancer Risk, Survey Finds
A Danish study has concluded that there is no significant link between cancer and mobile phones
Despite concerns about the link between mobile technology and cancer, a new study has found no evidence to suggest that cancer can be caused by using a mobile phone.
The research was conducted by the Institute of Epidemiology in Denmark, which looked at over 350,000 Danes aged 30 or over who were subdivided into subscribers and non-subscribers of mobile phones before 1995.
No Apparent risk
Of the 358,403 people featured in the study, the number of incidences of cancer in those who had owned a phone for over thirteen years was similar to the number in those who had owned a mobile for less time. The risk of tumours of the central nervous system was calculated from the complete Danish Cancer Register.
But researchers warned that that more studies are necessary to ascertain the long-term cancer risks of mobile phones, especially in children. Currently, the Department of Health advises that anyone under 16 should only use mobile phones for essential use and minimise call time.
The findings, published on the British Medical Journal website, are similar to conclusions drawn from other recent studies and contradict reports that mobile phone use can increase the risk of cancer.
However this research has failed to settle the issue, and health concerns continue to persist. In July, the World Health Organisation declared that handsets were “possibly carcinogenic”, although there was no clear link between the two. This was a significant change in stance by the WHO, who had previously advised that mobile phone use was safe.
Mobile phone manufacturers have repeatedly denied the need for warnings on mobile devices and an American proposal that would have required them to place labels on their devices was defeated in the Maine House of Representatives.
But despite the continued debate and repeated warnings, a survey conducted earlier this year revealed that although 80 percent of mobile phone users were aware of the possible risks, only 20 percent said that they would change their usage habits.
