Working graveyard shift linked to cancer?

[Guest guest]

Interesting supposition. The qi energy coursing the Lung, Large Intestine,

Liver and Gall Bladder meridians would be most affected during the 'graveyard'

shift (11pm-7am approx.) which would normally be the time for the energy of

these vital organs to detox, regenerate, recover - if one were asleep. What

makes this study interesting is it is often said disease begins in the colon

where immunity begins to degrade; the Liver processes toxins. Disrupting the

body's attunement to the Earth's natural cycles could ostensibly result in cells

not knowing when to cease growth and reproduction - hence cancer.

Twyla

 

 

By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer Thu Nov 29, 8:25 PM ET

 

 

LONDON - Like UV rays and diesel exhaust fumes, working the graveyard shift

will soon be listed as a " probable " cause of cancer. It is a surprising step

validating a concept once considered wacky. And it is based on research that

finds higher rates of breast and prostate cancer among women and men whose work

day starts after dark.

if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();

window.yzq_d['lICqd9GDJHU-']=' & U=13bb0duho%2fN%3dlICqd9GDJHU-%2fC%3d610001.11190\

821.11989432.6052652%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4917640';

Next month, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer arm of

the World Health Organization, will add overnight shift work as a probable

carcinogen. The American Cancer Society says it will likely follow. Up to now,

the U.S. organization has considered the work-cancer link to be " uncertain,

controversial or unproven. "

 

The higher cancer rates don't prove working overnight can cause cancer. There

may be other factors common among graveyard shift workers that raise their risk

for cancer.

 

However, scientists suspect that overnight work is dangerous because it

disrupts the circadian rhythm, the body's biological clock. The hormone

melatonin, which can suppress tumor development, is normally produced at night.

 

If the graveyard shift theory eventually proves correct, millions of people

worldwide could be affected. Experts estimate that nearly 20 percent of the

working population in developed countries work night shifts.

 

Among the first to spot the night shift-cancer connection was Richard Stevens,

a cancer epidemiologist and professor at the University of Connecticut Health

Center. In 1987, Stevens published a paper suggesting a link between light at

night and breast cancer.

Back then, he was trying to figure out why breast cancer incidence suddenly

shot up starting in the 1930s in industrialized societies, where nighttime work

was considered a hallmark of progress. Most scientists were bewildered by his

proposal.

 

But in recent years, several studies have found that women working at night

over many years were indeed more prone to breast cancer. Also, animals that have

their light-dark schedules switched develop more cancerous tumors and die

earlier.

 

Some research also suggests that men working at night may have a higher rate

of prostate cancer.

 

Because these studies mostly focused on nurses and airline crews, bigger

studies in different populations are needed to confirm or disprove the findings.

 

There are still plenty of skeptics. And to put the risk in perspective, the

" probable carcinogen " tag means that the link between overnight work and cancer

is merely plausible.

Among the long list of agents that are listed as " known " carcinogens are

alcoholic beverages and birth control pills. Such lists say nothing about

exposure amount or length of time or how likely they are to cause cancer. The

American Cancer Society Web site notes that carcinogens do not cause cancer at

all times.

 

Still, many doubters of the night shift link may be won over by the IARC's

analysis to be published in the December issue of the journal Lancet Oncology.

 

" The indications are positive, " said Vincent Cogliano, who heads up the

agency's carcinogen classifications unit. " There was enough of a pattern in

people who do shift work to recognize that there's an increase in cancer, but we

can't rule out the possibility of other factors. "

Scientists believe having lower melatonin levels can raise the risk of

developing cancer. Light shuts down melatonin production, so people working in

artificial light at night may have lower melatonin levels.

 

Melatonin can be taken as a supplement, but experts don't recommend it

long-term, since that could ruin the body's ability to produce it naturally.

 

Sleep deprivation may be another factor in cancer risk. People who work at

night are not usually able to completely reverse their day and night cycles.

 

" Night shift people tend to be day shift people who are trying to stay awake

at night, " said Mark Rea, director of the Light Research Center at Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute in New York, who is not connected with the IARC analysis.

Not getting enough sleep makes your immune system vulnerable to attack, and less

able to fight off potentially cancerous cells. Confusing your body's natural

rhythm can also lead to a breakdown of other essential tasks. " Timing is very

important, " Rea said. Certain processes like cell division and DNA repair happen

at regular times. Even worse than working an overnight shift is flipping

between daytime and overnight work. " The problem is re-setting your body's

clock, " said Aaron Blair, of the United States' National Cancer Institute, who

chaired IARC's recent meeting on shift work. " If you worked at night and stayed

on it, that would be less disruptive than constantly changing shifts. " Anyone

whose light and dark schedule

is often disrupted — including frequent long-haul travelers or insomniacs —

could theoretically face the same increased cancer risk, Stevens said. He

advises workers to sleep in a darkened room once they get off work. " The balance

between light and dark is very important for your body. Just get a dark night's

sleep. " Meanwhile, scientists are trying to come up with ways to reduce night

workers' cancer risk. And some companies are experimenting with different

lighting, seeking a type that doesn't affect melatonin production. So far,

the color that seems to have the least effect on melatonin is one that few

people would enjoy working under: red. ___ American Cancer Society's list of

known and probable carcinogens from IARC and National Toxicology Program:

http://tinyurl.com/2kl5ab International Agency for Research on Cancer:

http://www.iarc.fr/

 

 

" Thus the sage rules by stilling minds and opening hearts, by filling

bellies and strengthening bones... "

 

www.SpiritcareAcupuncture.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be a better sports nut! Let your teams follow you with Mobile. Try it now.

 

 

[Guest guest]

The Western World is finally catching up, has known this for

Centuries.

Unfortunately al lot of has been lost because of past & present

ridicule

by Western thinking & culture.

 

 

 

Twyla <twylahoodah

chinesehealing ; ourhealingspace ;

twylahoodah

Saturday, 1 December, 2007 5:35:54 AM

[Chinese Traditional Medicine] Working graveyard shift linked to cancer?

 

Interesting supposition. The qi energy coursing the Lung, Large Intestine, Liver

and Gall Bladder meridians would be most affected during the 'graveyard' shift

(11pm-7am approx.) which would normally be the time for the energy of these

vital organs to detox, regenerate, recover - if one were asleep. What makes this

study interesting is it is often said disease begins in the colon where immunity

begins to degrade; the Liver processes toxins. Disrupting the body's attunement

to the Earth's natural cycles could ostensibly result in cells not knowing when

to cease growth and reproduction - hence cancer.

Twyla

 

 

By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer Thu Nov 29, 8:25 PM ET

 

 

LONDON - Like UV rays and diesel exhaust fumes, working the graveyard shift will

soon be listed as a " probable " cause of cancer. It is a surprising step

validating a concept once considered wacky. And it is based on research that

finds higher rates of breast and prostate cancer among women and men whose work

day starts after dark.

 

if(window.yzq_ d==null)window. yzq_d=new Object(); window.yzq_d[ 'lICqd9GDJHU-

']=' & U=13bb0duho %2fN%3dlICqd9GDJ HU-%2fC%3d610001 .11190821. 11989432.

6052652%2fD% 3dLREC%2fB% 3d4917640' ;

Next month, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer arm of

the World Health Organization, will add overnight shift work as a probable

carcinogen. The American Cancer Society says it will likely follow. Up to now,

the U.S. organization has considered the work-cancer link to be " uncertain,

controversial or unproven. "

 

The higher cancer rates don't prove working overnight can cause cancer. There

may be other factors common among graveyard shift workers that raise their risk

for cancer.

 

However, scientists suspect that overnight work is dangerous because it disrupts

the circadian rhythm, the body's biological clock. The hormone melatonin, which

can suppress tumor development, is normally produced at night.

 

If the graveyard shift theory eventually proves correct, millions of people

worldwide could be affected. Experts estimate that nearly 20 percent of the

working population in developed countries work night shifts.

 

Among the first to spot the night shift-cancer connection was Richard Stevens, a

cancer epidemiologist and professor at the University of Connecticut Health

Center. In 1987, Stevens published a paper suggesting a link between light at

night and breast cancer.

Back then, he was trying to figure out why breast cancer incidence suddenly shot

up starting in the 1930s in industrialized societies, where nighttime work was

considered a hallmark of progress. Most scientists were bewildered by his

proposal.

 

But in recent years, several studies have found that women working at night over

many years were indeed more prone to breast cancer. Also, animals that have

their light-dark schedules switched develop more cancerous tumors and die

earlier.

 

Some research also suggests that men working at night may have a higher rate of

prostate cancer.

 

Because these studies mostly focused on nurses and airline crews, bigger studies

in different populations are needed to confirm or disprove the findings.

 

There are still plenty of skeptics. And to put the risk in perspective, the

" probable carcinogen " tag means that the link between overnight work and cancer

is merely plausible.

Among the long list of agents that are listed as " known " carcinogens are

alcoholic beverages and birth control pills. Such lists say nothing about

exposure amount or length of time or how likely they are to cause cancer. The

American Cancer Society Web site notes that carcinogens do not cause cancer at

all times.

 

Still, many doubters of the night shift link may be won over by the IARC's

analysis to be published in the December issue of the journal Lancet Oncology.

 

" The indications are positive, " said Vincent Cogliano, who heads up the agency's

carcinogen classifications unit. " There was enough of a pattern in people who do

shift work to recognize that there's an increase in cancer, but we can't rule

out the possibility of other factors. "

Scientists believe having lower melatonin levels can raise the risk of

developing cancer. Light shuts down melatonin production, so people working in

artificial light at night may have lower melatonin levels.

 

Melatonin can be taken as a supplement, but experts don't recommend it

long-term, since that could ruin the body's ability to produce it naturally.

 

Sleep deprivation may be another factor in cancer risk. People who work at night

are not usually able to completely reverse their day and night cycles.

 

" Night shift people tend to be day shift people who are trying to stay awake at

night, " said Mark Rea, director of the Light Research Center at Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute in New York, who is not connected with the IARC analysis.

Not getting enough sleep makes your immune system vulnerable to attack, and less

able to fight off potentially cancerous cells. Confusing your body's natural

rhythm can also lead to a breakdown of other essential tasks. " Timing is very

important, " Rea said. Certain processes like cell division and DNA repair happen

at regular times. Even worse than working an overnight shift is flipping between

daytime and overnight work. " The problem is re-setting your body's clock, " said

Aaron Blair, of the United States' National Cancer Institute, who chaired IARC's

recent meeting on shift work. " If you worked at night and stayed on it, that

would be less disruptive than constantly changing shifts. " Anyone whose light

and dark schedule

is often disrupted — including frequent long-haul travelers or insomniacs —

could theoretically face the same increased cancer risk, Stevens said. He

advises workers to sleep in a darkened room once they get off work. " The balance

between light and dark is very important for your body. Just get a dark night's

sleep. " Meanwhile, scientists are trying to come up with ways to reduce night

workers' cancer risk. And some companies are experimenting with different

lighting, seeking a type that doesn't affect melatonin production. So far, the

color that seems to have the least effect on melatonin is one that few people

would enjoy working under: red. ___ American Cancer Society's list of known and

probable carcinogens from IARC and National Toxicology Program: http://tinyurl.

com/2kl5ab International Agency for Research on Cancer: http://www.iarc. fr/

 

" Thus the sage rules by stilling minds and opening hearts, by filling bellies

and strengthening bones... "

 

www.SpiritcareAcupu ncture.org

 

 

------------ --------- --------- ---

Be a better sports nut! Let your teams follow you with Mobile. Try it now.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Could you please post the link!

Thanks

 

Twyla wrote:

>

> Interesting supposition. The qi energy coursing the Lung, Large

> Intestine, Liver and Gall Bladder meridians would be most affected

> during the 'graveyard' shift (11pm-7am approx.) which would normally

> be the time for the energy of these vital organs to detox, regenerate,

> recover - if one were asleep. What makes this study interesting is it

> is often said disease begins in the colon where immunity begins to

> degrade; the Liver processes toxins. Disrupting the body's attunement

> to the Earth's natural cycles could ostensibly result in cells not

> knowing when to cease growth and reproduction - hence cancer.

> Twyla

>

>

> By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer Thu Nov 29, 8:25 PM ET

>

>

> LONDON - Like UV rays and diesel exhaust fumes, working the graveyard

> shift will soon be listed as a " probable " cause of cancer. It is a

> surprising step validating a concept once considered wacky. And it is

> based on research that finds higher rates of breast and prostate

> cancer among women and men whose work day starts after dark.

>

> if(window.yzq_d==null)window.yzq_d=new Object();

>

window.yzq_d['lICqd9GDJHU-']=' & U=13bb0duho%2fN%3dlICqd9GDJHU-%2fC%3d610001.11190\

821.11989432.6052652%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d4917640';

>

> Next month, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the

> cancer arm of the World Health Organization, will add overnight shift

> work as a probable carcinogen. The American Cancer Society says it

> will likely follow. Up to now, the U.S. organization has considered

> the work-cancer link to be " uncertain, controversial or unproven. "

>

> The higher cancer rates don't prove working overnight can cause

> cancer. There may be other factors common among graveyard shift

> workers that raise their risk for cancer.

>

> However, scientists suspect that overnight work is dangerous because

> it disrupts the circadian rhythm, the body's biological clock. The

> hormone melatonin, which can suppress tumor development, is normally

> produced at night.

>

> If the graveyard shift theory eventually proves correct, millions of

> people worldwide could be affected. Experts estimate that nearly 20

> percent of the working population in developed countries work night

> shifts.

>

> Among the first to spot the night shift-cancer connection was Richard

> Stevens, a cancer epidemiologist and professor at the University of

> Connecticut Health Center. In 1987, Stevens published a paper

> suggesting a link between light at night and breast cancer.

> Back then, he was trying to figure out why breast cancer incidence

> suddenly shot up starting in the 1930s in industrialized societies,

> where nighttime work was considered a hallmark of progress. Most

> scientists were bewildered by his proposal.

>

> But in recent years, several studies have found that women working at

> night over many years were indeed more prone to breast cancer. Also,

> animals that have their light-dark schedules switched develop more

> cancerous tumors and die earlier.

>

> Some research also suggests that men working at night may have a

> higher rate of prostate cancer.

>

> Because these studies mostly focused on nurses and airline crews,

> bigger studies in different populations are needed to confirm or

> disprove the findings.

>

> There are still plenty of skeptics. And to put the risk in

> perspective, the " probable carcinogen " tag means that the link between

> overnight work and cancer is merely plausible.

> Among the long list of agents that are listed as " known " carcinogens

> are alcoholic beverages and birth control pills. Such lists say

> nothing about exposure amount or length of time or how likely they are

> to cause cancer. The American Cancer Society Web site notes that

> carcinogens do not cause cancer at all times.

>

> Still, many doubters of the night shift link may be won over by the

> IARC's analysis to be published in the December issue of the journal

> Lancet Oncology.

>

> " The indications are positive, " said Vincent Cogliano, who heads up

> the agency's carcinogen classifications unit. " There was enough of a

> pattern in people who do shift work to recognize that there's an

> increase in cancer, but we can't rule out the possibility of other

> factors. "

> Scientists believe having lower melatonin levels can raise the risk of

> developing cancer. Light shuts down melatonin production, so people

> working in artificial light at night may have lower melatonin levels.

>

> Melatonin can be taken as a supplement, but experts don't recommend it

> long-term, since that could ruin the body's ability to produce it

> naturally.

>

> Sleep deprivation may be another factor in cancer risk. People who

> work at night are not usually able to completely reverse their day and

> night cycles.

>

> " Night shift people tend to be day shift people who are trying to stay

> awake at night, " said Mark Rea, director of the Light Research Center

> at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, who is not connected

> with the IARC analysis. Not getting enough sleep makes your immune

> system vulnerable to attack, and less able to fight off potentially

> cancerous cells. Confusing your body's natural rhythm can also lead to

> a breakdown of other essential tasks. " Timing is very important, " Rea

> said. Certain processes like cell division and DNA repair happen at

> regular times. Even worse than working an overnight shift is flipping

> between daytime and overnight work. " The problem is re-setting your

> body's clock, " said Aaron Blair, of the United States' National Cancer

> Institute, who chaired IARC's recent meeting on shift work. " If you

> worked at night and stayed on it, that would be less disruptive than

> constantly changing shifts. " Anyone whose light and dark schedule

> is often disrupted --- including frequent long-haul travelers or

> insomniacs --- could theoretically face the same increased cancer

> risk, Stevens said. He advises workers to sleep in a darkened room

> once they get off work. " The balance between light and dark is very

> important for your body. Just get a dark night's sleep. " Meanwhile,

> scientists are trying to come up with ways to reduce night workers'

> cancer risk. And some companies are experimenting with different

> lighting, seeking a type that doesn't affect melatonin production. So

> far, the color that seems to have the least effect on melatonin is one

> that few people would enjoy working under: red. ___ American Cancer

> Society's list of known and probable carcinogens from IARC and

> National Toxicology Program: http://tinyurl.com/2kl5ab

> <http://tinyurl.com/2kl5ab> International Agency for Research on

> Cancer: http://www.iarc.fr/ <http://www.iarc.fr/>

>

> " Thus the sage rules by stilling minds and opening hearts, by filling

> bellies and strengthening bones... "

>

> www.SpiritcareAcupuncture.org

>

>

>

> Be a better sports nut! Let your teams follow you with Mobile.

> Try it now.

>

>

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , Twyla <twylahoodah wrote:

>

> Interesting supposition. The qi energy coursing the Lung, Large

Intestine, Liver and Gall Bladder meridians would be most affected

during the 'graveyard' shift (11pm-7am approx.) which would normally be

the time for the energy of these vital organs to detox, regenerate,

recover - if one were asleep. What makes this study interesting is it

is often said disease begins in the colon where immunity begins to

degrade; the Liver processes toxins. Disrupting the body's attunement

to the Earth's natural cycles could ostensibly result in cells not

knowing when to cease growth and reproduction - hence cancer.

> Twyla

 

I want to add a little bit to this for list members who are new to TCM:

 

Yes, the time of day can matter quite a bit. One thing that TCM healers

pay attention to if certain symptoms appear during a specific time

during the day. For example, if a person consistently wakes between

3am and 5 am - especially if there are other symptoms - this points

toward the possibility of Lung imbalance.

 

Sometimes the effectiveness of treatment will vary according to the

time of day it's administered. These times sometimes will vary

according to if the condition is Excess (caused by too much of

something) or Deficiency (caused by too little of something). The time

of day of treatment usually doesn't matter, but sometimes in stubborn

and/or complex cases, the time of day the treatment is given will make

a big difference.

 

There are differences among people as to when they're most alert and

energized. For some people working the graveyard shift might not

bother them that much or at all. For others, it can be what pushes them

over the edge into sickness.

 

BTW, every time I try to work 1st. shift hours, I've gotten sick. I do

best with 2nd shift hours or some hybrid of 1st. and 2nd shift hours.

 

Victoria