The breast cancer of a former nurse was recognized as an occupational disease on Monday March 27. The doctor Damien Mascret explains for the JT of 20 Hours the link between night work and cancer.
Many studies”show an increased risk of breast cancer when working at night“, explains Damien Mascret, doctor and journalist France Télévisions, present on the set of 20 Hours, Monday March 27. According to a Polish study, the risk of breast cancer is multiplied by 2.6 if a woman has worked at night at least six months in the year.This risk is multiplied by 3 for those who have chained at least three nights in a row per week.
A sleep debt for night workers
However, below ten years of night work, there would be no excess risk of cancer. This risk is due to a disruption of cellular clocks which can lead to cell proliferation. Internal clocks scavenge suspicious cells overnight. Women who work at night have a sleep debt and sleep on average 1 hour less per day than others. “If you work at night, avoid chaining more than two nights per week and add a nap to your daytime sleep“, concludes Damien Mascret.
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