No Increase in Incidence of Tumors for Cellphone Users: NZ Study

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, June 06, 2003

No Increase in Incidence of Tumors for Cellphone Users: NZ Study

New Zealand researchers have found that the incidence of cancerous tumors in the brain, head and neck has not risen since New Zealanders started using mobile phones.

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New Zealand researchers have found that the incidence of cancerous tumors in the brain, head and neck has not risen since New Zealanders started using mobile phones.

Some overseas studies have suggested radiation emitted by cellphones may increase the risk of tumors, including brain tumors,among users.

But researchers at the Wellington School of Medicine have found no increase in the incidence of such tumors since cellphones were introduced to New Zealand in 1987.

The researchers collected data on men and women aged 20 to 69 from the New Zealand Cancer Registry between 1987 and 1998, as well as data on cellphone use.

Alistair Woodward, who led the study, said the findings, published in The New Zealand Medical Journal Friday, should provide cellphone users with some reassurance.

He said the study's weakness was that it looked at the overall population rather than particularly at those who used mobile phones, meaning it was not known whether those developing tumors were using cellphones or not.

But Professor Woodward said the research still showed there wasnot a strong link between cellphone use and cancer.

He said he had not been surprised by the findings as researchers in Denmark also found no change in the number of tumors.

However, the time period it took for tumors to develop -- assuming the effect existed -- was not known. Researchers expectedit would be relatively short.

Professor Woodward said a study of tumor rates among cellphone users compared to non-users would be completed next year.

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