Mobiles cleared of eye cancer risk

A study in Germany has concluded that there is no link between mobile phone use and a rare form of eye cancer.

A previous study had suggested that mobile phone users were more susceptible to melanoma of the eye. The second study, which involved 1,600 people who had used a mobile phone for over 10 years, found no such link.

"We did not corroborate our previous results that showed an increased risk of uveal melanoma among regular mobile phone users," Dr Andreas Stang, of the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany, wrote in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

"Uncertainty exists about the role, if any, of radio waves transmitted by radio sets or mobile phones in human carcinogenesis."

The possible link between mobile phone use and harmful effects on the body have excited much research, with sharp disagreements on the possible health risks.

While most official guidance recommends keeping mobile phones away from growing children, there is no consensus on the effects on the adult population.

* Journal of the National Cancer Institute: Mobile Phone Use and Risk of Uveal Melanoma: Results of the Risk Factors for Uveal Melanoma Case-Control Study