Relationship between Night Shifts and Risk of Breast Cancer among Nurses: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background and objectives: The incidence of breast cancer worldwide has increased in recent decades, accounting for 1 in 3 neoplasms in women. Besides, nurses are mainly represented by the female collective, most of them, undertaking working conditions with intensive rotative and night shifts due to the 24-h pace of work of this profession. The objective of this study was to assess the possible relationship between shift work, especially night-time work, and the development of breast cancer among nurses. Materials and Methods: A systematic review of the literature was carried out through the consultation of the following databases: Cochrane Plus Library, PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Dialnet. Records were selected between 2010 and 2020, in Spanish and English, which covered the association between breast cancer diagnosed among nursing professionals and rotating night shifts. Results: A total of 12 studies were identified after critical reading. Most of the studies found an association between breast cancer and consecutive rotating night shifts prolonged over time. Among the associated factors, the alteration of the circadian rhythm influenced the expression of peripheral clock genes, which was the same as reproductive hormones. The risk of breast cancer in nurses increased during early adulthood and after 5 or more years with 6 or more consecutive nights. Conclusions: The different studies of this review show significant associations between breast cancer and prolonged rotating night shifts. Similarly, there is a relationship between the alterations in certain circadian rhythm markers (such as melatonin), epigenetic markers (such as telomeres), and breast cancer that would require more studies in order to corroborate these findings.

Social and professional recognition are key determinants of quality of life at work among night-shift healthcare workers in Paris public hospitals (AP-HP ALADDIN COVID-19 survey)

“…Night-shift work negatively impacts health, notably because of circadian rhythms perturbations [ 4 – 8 ]. Its multiple potential consequences include fatigue, sleep disturbance, an increased risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, affective disorders, and impaired cognitive function [ 9 – 19 ]. Beyond these negative health consequences, night-shift work has also detrimental effects on quality of life [ 20 – 22 ], which closely interacts with perceived health.…”

Women's health and night shift work: Potential targets for future strategies in breast cancer (Review)

“…Although the literature is controversial, as summarized in Table I , numerous studies have suggested that shift work and the night shift may represent one of the main occupational risks associated with BC ( 35 , 36 , 52 , 58 ).…”

Implications of Lifestyle and Occupational Factors on the Risk of Breast Cancer in Shiftwork Nurses

“…To gather the appropriate information, an online questionnaire was used. The main risk variables related to breast cancer and night work which were used in this investigation were extracted and adapted ad hoc based on other questionnaires found in the scientific evidence [3,11,14,45,46]. The final questionnaire was formed by the 8 sections detailed below.…”