Cited by 499Circadian rhythm and melatoninSleep and Work-Related FatigueImpact of Light on Environment and Health

Shift work and cancer risk: potential mechanistic roles of circadian disruption, light at night, and sleep deprivation

Haus, Erhard L., Smolensky, Michael H.·2013·Sleep Medicine Reviews

Abstract

Shift work that includes a nighttime rotation has become an unavoidable attribute of today's 24-h society. The related disruption of the human circadian time organization leads in the short-term to an array of jet-lag-like symptoms, and in the long-run it may contribute to weight gain/obesity, metabolic syndrome/type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Epidemiologic studies also suggest increased cancer risk, especially for breast cancer, in night and rotating female shift workers. If confirmed in more controlled and detailed studies, the carcinogenic effect of night and shift work will constitute additional serious medical, economic, and social problems for a substantial proportion of the working population. Here, we examine the possible multiple and interconnected cancer-promoting mechanisms as a consequence of shift work, i.e., repeated disruption of the circadian system, pineal hormone melatonin suppression by exposure to light at night, sleep-deprivation-caused impairment of the immune system, plus metabolic changes favoring obesity and generation of proinflammatory reactive oxygen species.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.smrv.2012.08.003

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  • The circadian system and its prime marker, melatonin, are considered to have antitumor effects through multiple pathways, including antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory effects, and immune enhancement.

    “The circadian system and its prime marker, melatonin, are considered to have antitumor effects through multiple pathways, including antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory effects, and immune enhancement.33-37”

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Authors
Haus, E. L., & Smolensky, M. H.
Affiliations
  • Regions Hospital (US)
  • The University of Texas at Austin (US)
Venue
Sleep Medicine Reviews
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2013-08
Volume
17
Issue
4
Pages
273-284
ISSN
1087-0792 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2139672495
Cited by
499
References
121
Citations by year
2026: 21 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 39 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 45 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 41 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 19
FWCI
3.20
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Sleep Medicine Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Impact of Light on Environment and Health
Keywords
shift work, circadian rhythm disruption, light at night, sleep deprivation, cancer risk, breast cancer, melatonin suppression, pineal gland, immune dysfunction, obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, reactive oxygen species, inflammation, jet lag
MeSH terms
Cell Cycle, Circadian Rhythm, Humans, Light, Melatonin, Neoplasms, Risk Factors, Sleep Deprivation, Work Schedule Tolerance, Epigenesis, Genetic

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