The Stress of Shift Work is Deemed Carcinogenic?
November 30th, 2007 by admin
We have been seeing reports in the news about shift-work being classified carcinogenic based on research that finds higher rates of breast and prostate cancer among women and men whose work day starts after dark. What is remarkable about this is that we are not talking about an environmental toxin but instead are talking about prolonged challenges to the body’s ability to adjust to disruptions in the circadian rhythm. This is basically saying that the stress of having the circadian rhythm chronically disrupted has enough of a detrimental effect on the body that it can be considered a carcinogen.
Just a few years ago this would have been considered a whacky idea but with this announcement by the International Agency for Research on Cancer there appears to be enough research to seriously consider the importance of stressors on health.
We wonder how many other ‘common ordinary stressors’ will be found to be significant health risks in the future.