Research links shift work with breast cancer

A report published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in 2010 estimated that more than 550 UK breast cancer deaths and almost 2,000 cases of breast cancer are linked to shift work. This represents almost half of all occupationally-related cancer registrations (1,971 out of a total of 3,622) in women. The Burden of occupational cancer in Great Britain, Imperial College London, the Institute of Environment and Health and the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL), provides an updated estimate of the number of cancer cases and cancer deaths caused by work. It can be found at: www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/rr800.htm.

More recently, a Canadian study reported that working night shifts for more than 30 years could double the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers examined 1,134 women with breast cancer and 1,179 women of the same age without the disease. They questioned them about their work and shift patterns and assessed hospital records. An association was not found for those doing night shifts for less than 30 years. The results of the study were reported in TUC Risks e-bulletin: http://www.tuc.org.uk/workplace-issues/health-and-safety/risks-newsletter/risks-2013/risks-612-6-july-2013#tuc-22335-11.

In January 2014, researchers at the Sleep Centre at Surrey University made a disturbing finding on the implications for those working on night shifts. They found that a change to regular sleeping times affects people at a genetic level, influencing the daily rhythm of our genes.

The study was carried out on 22 participants who had their sleep deliberately disrupted to show the effect of working night shifts on the human body. This research has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.