THE Melbourne university at the centre of a brain tumour scare has again been cleared of harbouring a cancer cluster.

An independent study found there was no evidence of a cancer cluster at RMIT University's Building 108 in central Melbourne. The top two floors of the building, at 239 Bourke Street, were closed for more than two months earlier this year after tumours were found in two staff members.

Fears were raised that the tumours – among 16 to be detected in staff working in the building – were linked to two mobile phone towers on the roof.But RMIT today said independent occupational health and medical experts had confirmed there was no evidence of a cancer cluster among staff or students on levels 16 and 17 of the building.The results support the findings of an earlier medical report.Dr John Gall, of Southern Medical Services, conducted medical consultations with many of the staff working in the building and dismissed fears of a cancer cluster on the upper levels.Dr Gall also said there was no evidence to support investigating the presence of a cancer cluster on levels 3-15 of the building.He said that the number of malignancies among staff was significantly lower than the number expected in a similar population and the tumours were of widely differing types.RMIT University Vice-President (Resources) and chief operating officer Steve Somogyi welcomed the results of the investigation."This confirms that in terms of brain cancer risks, the building is a safe place for work and study, no different from any other building in central Melbourne," Mr Somogyi said."The past few months have been stressful for staff and students using Building 108. I am confident that this update will clear the way for a return to normal operations in 2007."The findings were supported by Associate Professor Tony LaMontagne, of the University of Melbourne, who chairs the independent peer review panel examining Dr Gall's findings.A medical report in August found that of the 16 tumours diagnosed in staff working in the building, six were benign, six were malignant and the other four were deemed to have been caused by external factors.Environmental tests carried out on the building following the closure found radiation levels were within safe and normal limits, ruling out the possibility that mobile phone towers on the roof had caused the tumours. (Source: University of Melbourne and Southern Medical Services : The Australian : December 2006.)