Mobile use doesn't alter kids' cancer risk: study

The research, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on Wednesday and partially funded by mobile phone operators, addresses concerns that children may be more vulnerable to health risks from electromagnetic radiation from cellphones.

Children's nervous systems are still developing, and there are fears that their smaller head circumferences could allow radiation to penetrate deeper into their brains.

But the study -- the first to look specifically at children and the risk of cancer from cellphones -- found that brain tumor patients were no more likely to be regular phone users than control subjects who did not have cancer.

"If mobile phone use would be a risk factor, you'd expect cancer patients to have a higher amount of usage," said Professor Martin Roosli, who conducted the study at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel, Switzerland.

In the meantime, they said, people who are concerned should consider using an ear piece or the phone's speaker function.