'Cancer link' to heavy mobile use

The majority of studies have not found an increased cancer risk

Heavy mobile phone use may be linked to an increased risk of cancer of the salivary gland, a study suggests.

Researchers looked at 500 Israelis who had developed the condition and compared their mobile phone usage with 1,300 healthy controls.

Those who had used the phone against one side of the head for several hours a day were 50% more likely to have developed a salivary gland tumour.

The research appeared in The American Journal of Epidemiology.

Numerous studies have focused on the risk of tumours among those who use mobile phones, and overwhelmingly found no increased cancer risk.

But researchers at Tel Aviv University say these have tended to focus on brain tumours, and often did not include long-term users.

Cancer of the salivary gland is a very rare condition. Of the 230,000 cases of cancer diagnosed in the UK for instance annually, only 550 relate to this area.

Mixed messages

Dr Siegal Sadetzki, who led the research, said while mobile phone use in Israel was much heavier than in many other parts of the world, this gave an insight into what the long-term, cumulative impact could be.

Precautions should be taken in order to diminish the exposure and lower the risk for health hazards Dr Siegal Sadetzki Tel Aviv University

"Compared to other studies, the amount of exposure to radiofrequency radiation we saw here was much higher. If you like, you're seeing what could happen elsewhere 'speeded-up' in Israel," she said.

One of the key findings of the study was that heavy users in rural areas had an even higher risk that those in cities, due, the team suggested, to the fact that mobile phones in areas without strong signals need to emit more radiation to work properly.

But Dr Sadetzki stressed one study was not enough to prove a link, and that further research was needed.

Nonetheless, until more evidence became available, a "precautionary" approach was best, she said, particularly when it comes to children's use of mobile phones.

Despite these latest findings, the largest and longest-running investigation ever to be carried out into mobile phone usage found no increased risk of any sort of cancer.

It followed 420,000 people in Denmark, some of whom had been using a mobile phone for as long as ten years.

There was in fact a lower incidence of cancer than expected in a group of that size, suggesting mobile phones had no impact on the development of tumours.

Last year, the UK's Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme said that while the evidence so far was "reassuring", there was still a need for studies to examine the very long-term impact, and to look at the effect in children.

Ed Yong, of Cancer Research UK, said: "Mobile phones are a relatively recent invention and new research into any possible health risks is welcome.

"However, it's important to remember that the vast majority of studies so far have found that mobile phones do not increase the risk of any type of cancer."

Emerging giants spur telecom boom

The emerging giants are driving mobile phone use

Mobile phone users in China, Brazil, India and Russia are driving the global telecoms boom, a report by UK telecoms watchdog Ofcom suggests.

Since 2001, these countries have added 660 million new subscribers, accounting for 40% of total new mobile phone accounts globally.

Their large populations and economic muscle mean they will continue to grow and likely dictate technical standards.

New subscriptions in India alone doubled to 150 million in 2006.

The spread of networks into smaller towns, lower voice tariffs and intense competition spurred growth in the Indian market last year, which now has twice as many subscriptions as the UK.

Half the world

With 2.8 billion people, nearly half the world's population, and rising incomes, the four countries - referred to as the BRICs - still have the potential to acquire millions of new phone subscribers.

While Russia's mobile phone penetration is 106%, Brazil's is 53%, China's is 34% and India's is just 14%.

The absence of old-fashioned land-line infrastructure means that the BRIC countries are introducing new technologies at the same pace as more mature economies, the report said.

"Growth in the number of users of communication services within the four countries will continue," the report said.

The growth will be "driven both by penetration into lower income segments, through the expansion of coverage and the continuation of falling prices, and also rising economic prosperity in smaller towns and rural areas," it added.

Chinese use of mobile phones is on the rise

The sheer size of the BRIC market makes it likely that it will be key in deciding standards and dominant technologies, it added.

Investment capital is pouring in, as firms, tiring of more mature markets, are eager to take advantage of the returns on offer, it added.

Data boom

Most mobile firms in these four countries make their money from voice services.

But in the case of China, which enjoys the most developed mobile data market, generating 20% of mobile revenue from data services, consumers have proven eager to stay in touch by text.

Last year, mobile phone users in China sent 429 billion text messages, or 967 text messages per user.

That compares with 621 per mobile user in the UK.

China is also unusual in that the number of fixed lines grew by 79%, powered by the roll-out of fixed lines outside the main cities.

Digital television remains in its infancy in the four emerging giants.

Both Russia and India have seen their television industries grow quite fast, the former driven by an advertising boom, the latter by subscriptions to services such as Star.