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Night shift to be classified 'deadly'
Article from: The Associated Press
By Maria Cheng

December 01, 2007 12:01am

THE World Health Organisation is to classify night shift as a "probable" 
carcinogen.

That will put shift work in the same category as cancer-causing agents like 
anabolic steroids, ultraviolet radiation and diesel exhaust.

If the theory proves correct, millions of people could be affected, the 
International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the WHO, said.

Experts estimate nearly 20 per cent of workers in developed countries work 
night shifts.

Richard Stevens, a cancer epidemiologist at the University of Connecticut, 
published a paper in 1987 suggesting a link between light at night and 
breast cancer.

He had been trying to figure out why breast cancer incidence suddenly shot 
up starting in the 1930s in industrialised societies, where night work was 
considered a hallmark of progress.

Most scientists were bewildered by Prof Stevens' idea.

But in recent years, several studies have found women working at night for 
many years are more prone to breast cancer and animals who have their 
light-dark schedules switched grow more cancerous tumours and die quicker.

Some research has also shown men working at night may have a higher rate of 
prostate cancer.

The IARC will publish the results from its expert panel, convened in 
October, in this month's Lancet Oncology.

The American Cancer Society said it would most likely add shift work to its 
list of "known and probable carcinogens" when the IARC makes its 
reclassification.

Up to now, the society has labelled it an "uncertain, controversial or 
unproven effect".

Experts acknowledge evidence is limited but the "probable" tag means that a 
link between shift work and cancer is plausible.

Scientists suspect shift work is dangerous as it disrupts the circadian 
rhythm, the biological clock.

The hormone melatonin, which can suppress tumour development, is normally 
produced at night. Light shuts down melatonin production.

Sleep deprivation may also be a factor. Not getting enough sleep makes your 
immune system vulnerable to attack.

(I work the afternoon shift myself and I notice a lot of ppl smoke on it. I 
don't but around a third to a half of the shift which is way more than the 
15% one might expect. Also many of them eat sugar and sodium added foods out 
of vending machines. I wonder if the Prof factored in things like that. Also 
I don't think many of them have any sort of exercise plan.)

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Happy Hanukkah everyone.


-- 
Read and obey the Bible. Yu'shua died on the cross for our sins, He rose 
again and walked the earth. We are awaiting the Third Coming aka The Day Of 
Judgment.

Sheep are extremely fluffy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4NEbU_YkZw#gAhmzK_HQgc