SALIVARY GLAND TUMOURS AND MOBILE PHONES

Previous research has suggested an increased risk of brain tumours in users of cellular and cordless telephones. Hardell et al (p. 675) have now conducted a case-control study to investigate the relation between these exposures and risk of another set of head and neck cancers, tumours affecting the salivary gland. A total of 267 cases were recruited from the six regional cancer registries in Sweden and compared with 1053 age and sex matched referents for their use of analogue, digital, and cordless phones. Various analyses were employed involving different assumptions about induction period and latency. No evidence was detected of an increased risk following phone use. Although the findings are reassuring, the authors caution that further research is needed. Long term exposure to mobile phones (more than 10 years of use) occurred in relatively few subjects …