Night Shift Work Not Linked To Increased Risk Of Cancer

Working the night shift doesn't appear to increase the risk of developing cancer, suggests the findings of a new study of Swedish workers. Recent studies – and corresponding news headlines – have found that regularly working the night shift may increase the risk of developing breast, prostate and colon cancers. Some researchers say that the connection could be due to a decrease in the production of the hormone melatonin, as some animal experiments suggest that the hormone may have anti-cancer properties. Our bodies produce their highest levels of melatonin at night, during sleep, but exposure to light at night suppresses melatonin production, said Judith Schwartzbaum, the study's lead author and an associate professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--