Breast cancer Melatonin link

[237SJ]

Tests have indicated that women who are exposed to light in the hours when their body should be in darkness have a higher incidence of breast cancer. It is thought that melatonin interference could be to blame. Does that mean that taking melatonin in tabet form can prevent cancer in this instance? Have any tests been carried out into this?

[Sqad]

Interesting question to which I have no definitive answer, but the following is my total knowledge of the subject.

<<Tests have indicated that women who are exposed to light in the hours when their body should be in darkness have a higher incidence of breast cancer<<

Epidemiological studies have shown this to be true.

Studies have also demonstrated that in animals melatonin reinforces the cytotoxic effects of certain cytotoxic drugs in metastatic breast cancer.

I know of no studies that show the effect of melatonin in preventing breast cancer.

There are no published clinical trials, properly conducted, from reputable cancer units that would support the use of melatonin in the treatment of breast cancer.

[237SJ]

Thanks for that Sqad. To my mind, it sounds like some clinical tests would be a good idea. I`m a shift worker and the breast cancer rates where I work are quite startling.

[Sqad]

237SJ.....Believe me clinical trials ARE ongoing.

[beso]

Interesting. In Australia one of the sites of our national public television broadcaster had a huge cluster of breast cancers. It got so bad they moved to another site.

All kinds of tests were done looking for potential causes without finding anything. I wonder if the this aspect was investigated.

http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/bci.htm

[coccinelle]

Does this mean once dusk arrives we have to go to bed? and a good excuse not to get up early in a morning?

[lcg]

i thought i'd read in a journal article somewhere that swedish employers had statedto pay out to night workers who have developed the disease...x

[237SJ]

lcg- I think it was the Danish government. Last year I think. They were going to pay compensation to state-employed shift workers who developed breast cancer (if there wasn`t a family history of the disease).

[whiskeryron]

you may think I've lost it when I say that when energy saving bulbs were introduced my brother who is an avid radio listener noticed a distinct increase in interference when listening & switching on the table lamp.
My point being has there been any studies on radiation from these sources & could that therefore be the trigger in incidents of increased breast cancer ?.