WHO Study: Night Shift Work May Cause Cancer

Hazards of painting, firefighting also examined by international

research committee

    BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A study by the
 World Health Organization has found that night shift work increases the
 risk of cancer in humans. The study found that after prolonged exposure to
 night shift work, women are at a higher risk to develop breast and colon
 cancer. Men who work the night shift are more likely to experience prostate
 cancer.
 
 
 
     "Shift work that interferes with regular nighttime sleep disrupts
 circadian rhythms, our body's natural clock," said Dr. Erhard Haus of
 HealthPartners Research Foundation who chaired a subgroup of the study.
 "This impedes biologic function by suppressing the immune system, reducing
 melatonin production and may damage genes leading to the production of
 abnormal cells."
 
 
 
     Dr. Haus was part of a team of 24 scientists from ten countries who met
 at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, to
 assess the potential carcinogenicity of shift work, painting, and
 firefighting. The workgroup analyzed several epidemiologic studies and
 animal experiments. In addition to their findings on shift work, they
 determined that overall, occupational exposure as a painter is carcinogenic
 to humans. They also classified occupational exposure as a firefighter as
 possibly carcinogenic to humans.
 
 
 
     A preliminary report of the WHO International Agency for Research on
 Cancer (IARC) will appear in Lancet Oncology, December 7, 2007.
 
 
 
     Between 15 and 20 percent of the working population in the U.S. and
 Europe are engaged in shift work, which is most prevalent in the health
 care, transportation, communication, leisure and hospitality sectors.
 
 
 
     About HealthPartners Research Foundation
 
     HealthPartners family of care includes HealthPartners Research
 Foundation (http://www.hprf.org). Conducting about 250 research projects
 each year, the Foundation is dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge
 through research to improve the health of our members and the community.
 Founded in 1957, HealthPartners (http://www.healthpartners.com) serves more
 than one million medical and dental health plan members nationwide and is
 the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the
 nation, providing care, coverage, research and education to improve the
 health of members, patients and the community.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

SOURCE HealthPartners