04 April, 2006 03:59 GMT
The survey contradicts the findings of other researchers, including a study conducted by the Dutch Health Council, which found no evidence connecting radiation from cell phones to cancer, and a four-year British survey released in January, which came to the same conclusion.
The claim that cell phones cause cancer appeared to have been debunked by recent studies, but a new Swedish report raises new concerns. The survey, released Friday, warns that prolonged cell phone use may be putting millions of people at an increased risk of brain tumors.
Researchers at the Swedish National Institute for Working Life compared the cell phone use of 2,200 cancer patients and an equal number of healthy participants.
Among the cancer patients, who were between 20 and 80 years old, 905 had malignant brain tumors and about 10 percent were also frequent cell phone users.
"Of these 905 cases, 85 were so-called high users of mobile phones, that is they began early to use mobile and/or wireless telephones and used them a lot," said the researchers in a statement issued by the institute.
Hands-Free Lowers Risk
"The study should change the way we use [cell phones], but it probably won't," said Alex Costakis, 18, of Indiana, a young cell phone user in the Public Garden Friday.
"It's not something I really worry about," said Brianna Annese, 15, of Hyde Park. "It is a fact everybody knows. They also say Diet Coke gives you cancer."
Others doubted the validity of the study.
"I don't believe the study," said Roger Snow, 65, of Boston. "It won't change my use of the cell phone."
The study also stated that heavy users had more than twice the risk of tumors on the side of the head.
"The way to get the risk down is to use hands-free," Kjell Mild, the leader of the study, told Reuters.
Contradicts Earlier Research
The study was the largest to examine the long-term use of wireless phones, according to the researchers.
The survey contradicts the findings of other researchers, including a study conducted by the Dutch Health Council, which found no evidence connecting radiation from cell phones to cancer, and a four-year British survey released in January, which came to the same conclusion.
The study was published in the
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health.
It defines heavy use as 2,000 hours or more on the cell phone in a lifetime, while early use was defined as cell phone use before the age of 20.
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