Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- People who regularly use cell phones don't face an increased risk of developing brain tumors, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal.

Researchers studied 966 people with the most common type of brain tumor and 1,716 healthy volunteers over a period of four years and found no relationship between cell phone use and the incidence of tumors, the study said. There was no connection between the risk of tumor and the duration of calls, their frequency or the make of the phone, the study said.

``This large epidemiological study has shown no evidence that using a cell phone has an effect on the development of tumors,'' researcher Patricia McKinney from the University of Leeds said in a phone interview. The study, conducted by researchers from the universities of Leeds, Nottingham and Manchester and the Institute of Cancer Research in London.

Wireless phone makers are facing class-action suits in the U.S. that claim radiation from the devices puts users at increased risk of illnesses including brain cancer. The U.S. Supreme Court in October turned away arguments from the manufacturers that federal regulations preclude the state-law suits by consumers.

U.K. mobile-phone operators Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Vodafone, contributed funding under an agreement that ensured independence for the researchers, the study said. The Interphone study of the European Union, Mobile Telecommunications Health and Research program, the Mobile Manufacturers Forum, and the GSM Association through the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer also provided funds for the research.

`Unacceptable'

The study is flawed because 49 percent of 966 tumor cases weren't interviewed, with many of the people suffering fast- growing tumors dying before they could participate, said Alasdair Philips, director of Powerwatch, a U.K. group formed in 1988 to examine links between electromagnetic fields and health risks.

``In most studies it would be unacceptable if you lost half of the participants,'' Philips said in a telephone interview. He said a study that was forward-looking would give more accurate results.

McKinney declined to respond to Philips' comments.

Over 4,000 U.K. citizens are diagnosed with brain cancer in Britain every year, early symptoms include headaches and feelings of nausea. There also was no evidence to indicate a greater risk from using cell phones in rural areas, the U.K. researchers said.



To contact the reporter on this story:
Eva von Schaper in Frankfurt at  evonschaper@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 20, 2006 07:07 EST

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