Night Shift Workers and Cancer
Cancer August 24th, 2009
Typically at night is the time to rest and sleep. However, few workers who do not work turn (shift) it works at night. Various studies mention the night shift workers vulnerable to various diseases, one of them is cancer.
According to a consultant oncologist from Mayo Clinic, Dr.Timoty Moynihan, MD, the link between night work with cancer may be related to changes in circadian rhythm (the rhythm of life based on the pattern of 24 hours) and decreased levels of melatonin in the blood.
We slept a lot of hormones that work, including the hormone melatonin and growth hormone that plays a role in cell rejuvenation. Also during sleep-cell levels of natural killer cells in the blood is very high.
“Yet there has been no study that can prove a direct link with the work of cancer at night,” said Moynihan.
Therefore, Moynihan suggested that night shift workers to run a healthy lifestyle to prevent cancer, for example by not smoking, maintaining ideal weight, exercise, avoid alcohol, and eating healthy food variety.
