Science has confirmed that the trusty mobile gadget - which now comes as a smartphone or feature phone - emits radiation, ramping up fears that humans may indeed develop brain cancer from excessive use of the ubiquitous device.

In May 2011, the World Health Organisation (WHO) listed cell phones as likely contributors to brain cancer, specifically glioma and acoustic neuroma brain conditions.

Thirty-one scientists working for the international health agency concluded on a report that personal exposure to mobile phones could be "possibly carcinogenic to humans."

The WHO report said that mobile phones generate x-ray like radiation that is comparable to the rays emitted by microwave ovens.

"What microwave radiation does in most simplistic terms is similar to what happens to food in microwaves, essentially cooking the brain," the report said as quoted by CNN in a news article that the network ran last year.

"In addition to leading to a development of cancer and tumours, there could be a whole host of other effects like cognitive memory function, since the memory temporal lobes are where we hold our cell phones," the report added.

To avoid dire consequences if mobile phones cannot be avoided, WHO researchers suggested keeping the gadgets far from the head as possible, which can be done by using a wired earpiece - not a Bluetooth device that is equally harmful according to experts - or by simply sending text messages.

However, a new report recently issued by Interphone Study claimed that mobile phones were hardly harmful unless owners of the units can be considered as 'heavy users' or those who opted to talk over the phone on extended period, thereby exposing them cell phone radiation emission.

The new study was partially funded by international telcos, prompting a prominent Australian neurosurgeon to observe that the telecommunication industry was supportive of the findings because it naturally wishes to protect its business interest.

In his commentary piece published on Monday by The Punch, Dr Charlie Teo insisted that "there may be a link between mobile phones and brain cancer ... Finding a definite link would be devastating - and the telecommunications companies are too afraid to find out."

While Dr Teo admitted that radiation was beyond his expertise, he noted too that a rising number of his patients were found to have developed brain tumour close to the ear area, prompting medical questions that he said require more research.

If mobile phones were indeed causing cancer then the world needs to come up with definite answers considering the global prevalence of the device, Dr Teo argued on his article.

"Brain cancer is a terrible disease, it's the most lethal cancer known to mankind. It kills young people and it appears to be affecting more people than it did ten years ago," he asserted.

But experts from the NSW Cancer Council are under the impression that Dr Teo may be overreacting.

According to council CEO Andrew Penman, real world scenario suggests that mobile phone usage rarely leads to health conditions.

"It was difficult to prove that mobile phones cause cancer but even more difficult to prove they don't cause cancer," Dr Penman told News.com.au on Monday.

"People tend to cast around for exotic causes of cancer they can control - but the big thing is tobacco, lack of exercise, obesity, sun exposure, the use of hormone replacement therapy. We know those things have a big effect, and you can actually do something about those," he added.

To push the panic button at this time would be inappropriate, Dr Penman said, adding that for people to radically alter their attitude towards mobile phones would be uncalled for.

He admitted though that as a precaution, he has since picked up on WHO's medical recommendations that would likely minimise the risk of brain cancer reportedly posed by mobile phones.

Dr Penman said he has reduced his communication dependence on his cell phone and if needed, he uses the unit hands-free.