Ten years of using a mobile phone results in no increased risk of a tumour in the nerve connecting the ear to the brain, researchers said.

    BEIJING, Aug. 31 (Xinhuanet)-- Ten years of using a mobile phone regularly will not likely result in brain cancer, researchers said on Tuesday.

    The study, published in the online version of The British Journal of Cancer, studied 678 people with acoustic neuroma and compared their use of mobile phones over a 10-year period with a group of 3,553 people who had not developed the condition.

    Researchers found no link between the risk of developing a tumour and the number of years for which mobile phones had been used.

    But amid public concern about a possible link, the scientists who conducted the largest study so far on the subject said they could not rule out a higher risk over a longer period.

    "The results of our study suggest there is no substantial risk in the first decade after starting use," said Anthony Swerdlow of the Institute of Cancer Research.

    "Whether there are longer-term risks remains unknown, reflecting the fact that this is a relatively recent technology." he said.

    Professor Peter Rigby, chief executive of the charity Cancer Research UK, said the latest study is a great step towards resolving the issue of whether mobile phones cause brain cancer. "Mobile phone have only been used widely over the past decade so we won't know the long-term effects for many years," Professor Rigby said.

    "However, it's important researchers continue to monitor phone users over coming years as mobiles are still a relatively new invention," said Julie Sharp with the same institute. Enditem

    (Agencies)