Night Shifts and Cancer Risk: What You Need to Know
A number of health issues can be related to
working on the night shift
, including heart-related conditions, sleep disorders,
obesity and sometimes even cancer. According to the results
of recent investigations, people who work night shifts have
around 20% higher risk of cancer development than those, who
don’t. Over 4 million people participated in the study, so
its results can be considered true. The cancer types were
ultimately different:
- 32% higher risk of breast cancer in women;
- 41% advanced danger of skin cancer;
- 18% boosted risk of digestive system cancer.
It was added that the longer you work shifts, the higher such risk is. However, the reason of such a tendency is not about vulnerability or similar factors. A considerable number of people, who participated in the investigation, were nurses, who are likely to be exposed to screening more often. Probably, it is one of the key reasons of such a considerable advancement in cancer rates. Besides, it is important to pay attention to the fact that diet, sleep habits and physical activities were not taken into consideration during the experiment.
Disruptions to melatonin levels might also be one of the causes of cancer development. Its ranges grow during the night time in response to darkness, which can contribute to tumor growth. Additionally, disruption of the normal sleeping cycle can affect genes that are in charge of DNA repairing. Such process can lead to abnormally growth and spreading of cancerous cells.
On the other hand, working
night shift work
and having a higher risk of cancer development has the other
side. The findings show that such people can potentially
benefit from regular screening programs, so that they could
be diagnosed with cancer earlier. And you, probably,
remember that timely diagnostics and rapid treatment are
what you need for a successful recovery. Besides, there are
many ways to prevent cancer development, so you need to
discuss the issue with your medical specialist to avoid this
devastating
health
issue.
