Shift Work and Breast Cancer

Sarah Gehlert, Mark Clanton and on behalf of the Shift Work and Breast Cancer Strategic Advisory Group
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Sarah Gehlert: Suzanne Dworak-Peck School, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Mark Clanton: Parkland Community Health Plan, Dallas, TX 75247, USA
on behalf of the Shift Work and Breast Cancer Strategic Advisory Group: Shift Work and Breast Cancer Strategic Advisory Group are listed in acknowledgements.

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 24, 1-8

Abstract: The rates of shift work outside of daylight hours have increased in recent years, and nighttime shift work is now considered a potential carcinogenic occupational exposure. Light at night exposure, lower melatonin production, and the production of stress-related mediators disrupt normal sleep–wake cycles. Women who work lower-wage jobs and part-time workers whose shifts are determined entirely by their supervisors (rotating shifts) may be subject to stress related to efforts to align childcare and other needs with the unpredictable nature of rotating shift work. The causal link between breast cancer and the sleep cycle or circadian disruption are yet to be established; however, disruption of the circadian cycles by light at night exposure or chronic exposure to stress-related mediators have all been linked to the increased risk of breast cancer. We review the existing literature on shift work and breast cancer, identify knowledge gaps, and suggest future directions for research.

Keywords: shift work; employment; breast cancer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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