The risk was still higher if users clamped the phone to the same ear, did not use hands-free devices or were in rural areas. "Analysis restricted to regular users or to conditions that may yield higher levels of exposure (eg heavy use in rural areas) showed consistently elevated risks," said an abstract of the report in the US journal made available to AFP.
Regular use of mobile
telephones increases the
risk of developing tumours,
a new scientific study by
Israeli researchers and
published in the American
Journal of Epidemiology
revealed on Friday.
An extract of the report
seen by Israel's Yedoit
Aharonot newspaper put the
risk of developing a parotid
gland tumour nearly 50
percent higher for frequent
mobile phone users -- more
than 22 hours a month.
The risk was still higher if
users clamped the phone to
the same ear, did not use
hands-free devices or were
in rural areas.
"Analysis restricted to
regular users or to
conditions that may yield
higher levels of exposure (eg
heavy use in rural areas)
showed consistently elevated
risks," said an abstract of
the report in the US journal
made available to AFP.
The study included 402
benign and 58 malignant
incident cases of parotid
gland tumour diagnosed in
Israel at age 18 years or
more, in 2001-2003.
The research was led by Dr
Siegal Sadetzki, a cancer
and radiation expert at the
Chaim Sheba Medical Centre
in Israel and as part of a
World Health Organisation
project.
