200,000 to be used in study of mobile-cancer link

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<div class="rxbodyfield" xmlns:o="urn:www.microsoft.com/office" xmlns:st1="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags" xmlns:st2="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags2" xmlns:w="urn:www.microsoft.com/word" xmlns:x="urn:www.microsoft.com/excel"><p>Over 200,000 consumers are to take part in a long-term research project monitoring the risk of mobile phone users developing brain cancers.</p><p>The Times newspaper reported this weekend that Professor Lawrie Challis, a world expert on mobile phone radiation, is in the final stages of negotiations with the Department of Health and the mobile phone industry to fund the &#163;3 million study.</p><p>Professor Challis told BBC Radio 4 that although there had been no link found between the use of mobile phones and cancer development in studies so far, the fact that radiation-triggered forms of cancer took a long time to develop meant that more lengthy research was needed.</p><p>Calling the impending research the &quot;responsible&quot; thing to do, he commented: &quot;The situation at the moment is that we have no evidence of any harm from mobile phones. The dilemma is the time that it takes for a disease to appear. </p><p>&quot;We know from smoking and with the bomb falling in Hiroshima that nothing was seen for ten years.&quot;</p><p>The Conservative shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley welcomed the report, stating: &quot;It&#39;s not scaremongering to ask these questions. </p><p>&quot;At the moment there is little evidence to suggest that the use of mobile phones has any impact on health, but it is vital that there is continuing research to establish if long-term use is a danger.&quot; </p><p>A spokeswoman for the Department of Health confirmed to the Scotsman that no final decision on which projects would be funded had been made and highlighted the fact that a previous study, the Stewart Report, had allude that mobile phones do not put the health of the general public at risk. </p><p>However, she conceded: &quot;There should be a programme of research that looks into possible health effects. There is a pot of funding available for such research. This is one project that is being looked at.&quot; </p><p>There&#39;s plenty of choice so let uSwitch.com help you find the perfect mobile phone. If you&#39;re confused about fancy features, our <a href="http://www.uswitch.com/Mobiles/Handsets/">handset guide will help. Then, when you know what you want, <a href="http://www.uswitch.com/Mobiles/index.aspx?">use our calculator to compare handsets and tariffs</a> and find the one that best suits you and buy online. We&#39;re easy to use, impartial and our service won&#39;t cost you a penny.</p><p> <a href="http://www.adfero.co.uk" target="_blank"><img alt="track" src="http://feeds.directnews.co.uk/feedtrack/dn.gif?feedid=362&amp;itemid=18061643" style="border:0 0 0" />&#169; Adfero Ltd</a></a></p></div>