Disruption of the circadian system has been hypothesized to increase cancer risk, either because of direct disruption of the molecular machinery generating circadian rhythms or because of disruption of parameters controlled by the clock such as melatonin levels or sleep duration.
This hypothesis has been studied in hormone-dependent cancers among women, but data are sparse about potential effects of circadian disruption on the risk of prostate cancer. This review systematically examines available data evaluating the effects of light at night, sleep patterns, and night shift work on prostate cancer risk.
Written by:
Sigurdardottir LG, Valdimarsdottir UA, Fall K, Rider JR, Lockley SW, Schernhammer E, Mucci LA. Are you the author?
Center of Public Health Sciences; Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland; The Icelandic Cancer Society, Reykjavik, Iceland; Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Örebro University Hospital and Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health; Channing Laboratory, Harvard Medical School; Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital; and Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Reference: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2012 May 31. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-12-0116
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22564869
UroToday.com Prostate Cancer Section