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Once again there's a study telling us that cell phones cause an increase in tumor risk. This time it's from a study by Israeli scientists that published their research in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

An extract of the report puts the risk of developing a parotid gland tumor at almost 50 percent higher for people who use their cellular phones more frequently - more than 22 hours per month. The risk was even higher if users used the same ear, did not use a hand-free option or were in rural areas.

"Analysis restricted to regular users or to conditions that may yield higher levels of exposure (eg heavy use in rural areas) showed consistently elevated risks," said an abstract of the report in the US journal.

The lead researcher was Dr Siegal Sadetzki a cancer and radiation expert at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Israel as part of a World Health Organization project.

A previous Swedish study found a link between use of cell phones for at least 10 years and an increase risk in developing a rare benign tumor along the nerve on the side of the head where they hold the phone.

However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that there was no clear connection between cell phone use and an increased risk of cancer but stated that more research was needed to "determine with more certainty whether cell phones are safe."

[Source: Yahoo News]