The latest Interphone report has found no increased risk of acoustic neuroma – a rare, benign tumour of the ear nerve – from mobile phone use. The researchers, in a paper published this week in Cancer Epidemiology, found no overall risk for the condition from regular mobile phone use for 10 years or more.

“In conclusion, we did not observe an increase in risk of AN with regular use of a mobile phone or in a mobile phone user who began use 10 years of more before the reference date" of diagnosis, the researchers said.

The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association's chief executive, Chris Althaus, said the Interphone results would need to be considered by independent health authorities and expert groups to assess their significance, if any, to people’s health.

He said researchers had looked at the incidence of brain cancer over the past three decades and there has been no rise in the incidence despite the huge rise in mobile phone use.

The WHO’s latest fact sheet says: “A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use.”

Interphone, a 13-nation study, is the biggest undertaken into potential health impacts of mobile phones. It was co-ordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization.