Israeli researchers have detected a possible link between cellphone usage and salivary gland cancer, local daily Ha'aretz reported on Thursday. The research project, commissioned by the Israel Dental Association and directed by dental expert Avi Zini from the Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, examined the incidence of oral cancers in Israel from 1970 to 2006, and noticed a sharp rise in the number of parotid gland cancer cases, said the report. The parotid gland is the largest salivary gland in the human body, and is located under the skin by the ear, approximately the place where mobile phones are held during conversations. The number of parotid salivary cancer cases held steady at around 25 per year from 1980 to 2002, but jumped to 70 cases per year during the following five years, found the researchers, while noting that the incidence of cancers in submandibular and sublingual salivary glands, which are located in the lower mouth, remain stable. During the period studied, salivary gland cancer case amounted to 16.2 percent among the some 12,000 Israelis who developed oral cancers, the third most common after lip cancer and throat cancer. An age breakdown of the statistics shows that while most oral cancer patients were over 70, with only 2.7 percent under the age of 20, salivary gland cancer was disproportionately common among young patients, with some 20 percent under 20. 'We haven't gathered data on the use of cell phones on the part of the patients,' Zini was quoted as saying. 'But the rise (in cancer cases) absolutely could indicate increased exposure to cellular telephones and damage caused by radiation.' During the next stage of the study, the research team plans to collect data on their oral cancer patients' cellphone usage in order to examine the possible statistical link between the two. Last year, a study conducted by another Israeli team found a link between cellphone exposure and malignant and benign tumors on the head and neck. According to its findings, after five or more years of exposure, the incidence of tumors on the cellphone side of the face increased by 34 percent. Meanwhile, the study also noted that using accessories, such as earphones, helps decrease the radiation level. About 2 percent of total cancer cases in Israel involve oral cancer, reported Ha'aretz, adding that oral cancers are associated with a high mortality rate, with patients living an average of five and a half years. 