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Fred Hutchinson Launches First Study Of Its Kind To Look At The Effects Of Shift Work On Hormone Levels In Women

Published: Oct 25, 2004

SEATTLE, Oct. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Three years ago, investigators at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center made headlines nationwide when they published the results of a population-based study that suggested women who work the graveyard shift have an increased risk of breast cancer as opposed to women who work the day shift.

Now, the researchers are taking their investigation one step further by launching the first study of its kind to measure the influence of night-shift work on hormone levels that may affect breast-cancer risk.

More than 300 female Seattle-area hospital and laboratory shift workers are needed for this National Cancer Institute-funded study, led by Scott Davis, Ph.D., a member of Fred Hutchinson's Public Health Sciences Division. (See sidebar for details.)

"There is evidence that shift work may increase the risk of developing breast cancer, and perhaps have other impacts on health as well," Davis said. "It is important to identify the biological mechanisms that may be responsible for such effects so that strategies might be developed to reduce risk in the future."

Davis and colleagues hypothesize that the increased risk in breast cancer they've observed among night-shift workers is most likely due to disruptions in the sleep/wake cycle and exposure to light at night, both of which may affect endocrine function and the regulation of reproductive hormones implicated in the development of breast cancer.

One theory, Davis said, is that nighttime sleep deprivation or exposure to light at night somehow interrupts the production of melatonin, a hormone produced at night by the brain's pineal gland. Melatonin production in turn prompts the ovaries to make extra estrogen -- a known hormonal promoter of breast cancer.

To better gauge the impact of shift work on the body's hormones, Davis and colleagues designed this follow-up study to look at the effects of circadian disruption on the production of melatonin and estrogen, among other biological factors.

"We need to measure the specific biological effects of shift work, because right now, the connection between working nights and decreased melatonin/increased estrogen has yet to be shown in humans," said Davis, also chairman of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine.

Indirect support of the melatonin/breast-cancer connection comes from an earlier study of blind women, who were found to have a 20 percent to 50 percent reduced risk of breast cancer as compared to a group of sighted women diagnosed with stroke and cardiovascular disease. The theory behind the reduced risk, Davis said, is that blind women do not perceive light and are therefore not sensitive to fluctuations in light so their melatonin levels remain constant, which also keeps their circulating estrogen levels in check.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home of three Nobel laureates, is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the development and advancement of biomedical technology to eliminate cancer and other potentially fatal diseases. Fred Hutchinson receives more funding from the National Institutes of Health than any other independent U.S. research center. Recognized internationally for its pioneering work in bone-marrow transplantation, the center's four scientific divisions collaborate to form a unique environment for conducting basic and applied science. Fred Hutchinson, in collaboration with its clinical and research partners, UW Medicine and Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Pacific Northwest and is one of 38 nationwide. For more information, visit the center's Web site at http://www.fhcrc.org/.

Advancing Knowledge, Saving Lives SIDEBAR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR SHIFT-WORKER STUDY

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center needs more than 300 female hospital and laboratory workers to participate in a study investigating the impact of night-shift work on biological factors, such as hormone levels, which may increase the risk of breast cancer. Participants will receive $120-$150 upon completion of the study.

  To qualify, a woman must:

  -- Work the night or day shift in a Seattle-area hospital or laboratory
  -- Be 20 to 45 years old
  -- Have regular menstrual periods
  -- Not take hormonal contraceptives (i.e., "the Pill" or Norplant)
  -- Not be pregnant or nursing within the past year

  The study involves:

  -- A time commitment of four to six hours during a two-month period
  -- Tracking one's menstrual cycle
  -- Urine collections
  -- Completing forms
  -- Providing a blood or saliva sample (optional)

Those interested can call 206-667-5704 (call collect if long distance) or visit http://www.fhcrc.org/phs/sws/. All information obtained for this study will be kept strictly confidential.

CONTACT: Kristen Woodward 206-667-5095 kwoodwar@fhcrc.org

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

CONTACT: Kristen Woodward of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,+1-206-667-5095, or kwoodwar@fhcrc.org

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