NIGHT SHIFTS DOUBLE BREAST CANCER RISK

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
WE ALL KNOW THE TEDIUM AND BOREDOM OF NIGHT SHIFTS WHICH IS LIKE BEING IN A GRAVEYARD---PLENTY OF BODIES BUT NOT VERY ACTIVE.

Now, research shows working night shifts can double the breast cancer risk!

Before you decide to work late tonight or take on more night shifts, it should be noted that women working these ungodly hours may double their risk of breast cancer.  Researchers are warning that those who work the night shifts for more than twice a week over six years or more could potentially have their risk of breast cancer doubled compared to those who work on day shifts. There have been mounting evidence that night shifts might boost cancer risk because of the disruption to the body’s circadian rhythms – the body clock, and sleep patterns. The study was carried out by Danish researchers who analyse medical records of 18,500 women working in the Danish Army between 1964 and 1999. For the study, researchers contacted 210 out of the 218 women who had breast cancer between 1990 and 2003, and who were still alive in 2005. A comparison was made to the other 899 women of the same age who had also worked for the Danish Army but had not developed breast cancer. Experts believed that exposure to light at night disrupts the body’s production of the hormone melatonin, which is released by the brain’s pineal gland between the hours of 9pm and 8am. This hormone works to control the natural cycles of sleep and helps suppress tumours. Another explanation is that due to sleep deprivation, the immune system is compromised as well and this might also increase the growth of cancer cells. Lead author, Dr. Johnni Hansen of the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Copenhagen, Denmark noted that there appeared to be no increased in risk if you work just one or two night shifts a week. So, what are we to do then? “Since night shift work is unavoidable in modern societies, this type of work should be limited in duration and limited to less than three night shifts per week,” advice Dr Johnni Hansen. Source: The Medical Daily http://www.venusbuzz.com ========================================================= Cervical Cancer the Third Most Common Cancer Among Malaysian Women Audra Roslani April 12, 2012 2   Get vaccinated, and get regular pap smears. According to the Power Over Cervical Cancer (POCC) – a campaign initiated by the National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM), cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among Malaysian females after breast and colorectal cancer. Among its ethnic groups, Indians experienced the highest incidence rate in 2007 at 10.3 per 100,000 populations. This was followed by the Chinese and Malays at 9.5 and 5.3 respectively. On a larger scale, a woman dies of cervical cancer every two minutes worldwide. Surely this is reason for alarm, but what exactly is cervical cancer and how can it affect you? Cervical cancer affects women of different ages and backgrounds across the world.It begins in the cervix, the part of the uterus or womb that opens to the vagina and is caused by the persistent infection with an extremely common and contagious virus : the dreaded human papillomavirus (HPV). Both younger and older women are at risk of cervical cancer due to new infection or re-infection by the cancer-causing HPV. Who can get it? If you have a uterus, then yes, you too could be a victim of cervical cancer. It it most often transmitted through sexual routes such as sexual intercourse, genital to genital, manual to genital and oral to genital. Infection may occur simply through skin-to-skin contact in the genital area. Suffice to say, if you are sexually active you are highly susceptible to being exposed to HPV. What can you do to prevent it? POCC’s message through the BFFs Break the Silence campaign is simple – Get vaccinated, and get regular pap smears. This year, the campaign aims to empower all BFFs to speak out against cervical cancer and get people to take action by protecting themselves from the disease. It is set to create greater awareness on the disease and its prevention methods, as well as provide avenues for the public to find out more information on protection against cervical cancer. POCC Ambassadors Five personalities have come forward to volunteer as POCC ambassadors – Genevieve Sambhi, Sarimah Ibrahim, Rina Omar, Pamela and Vanessa Chong in an effort to break the silence, and take action against cervical cancer. When asked why they wanted to be involved with POCC, they each had a different personal reasons for their involvement. Genevieve Sambhi, model and former Miss Malaysia/Universe first runner-up was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2009 and said she was lucky to get through it. “As I was going through all my treatments, I said I have to help other people. This is a preventable disease, and anything I can do,  I will do to get the awareness out there that women need to get vaccinated and have their pap smears. So for me, this is something very close to my heart.” Actress Sarimah Ibrahim said that her brother recently recovered from cancer, and anything that could help other people with any form of cancer is something she is passionate about. “The fact that I have three younger brothers who don’t know how they could contribute towards it, made me want to do it,” she said, adding that not only women needed to be aware of cervical cancer. The Amazing Race  Asia 2 (TARA) stars Pamela and Vanessa Chong also decided to hop on board to spread the word after being approached by POCC. “We knew nothing about it when we first started, but finding out the statistics and facts scared us knowing that it was (at the time) the second highest cause of cancer among women in Malaysia. We decided that word of mouth can help and do whatever we can by spreading the word through Facebook and Twitter with family, friends and fans,” said Pamela. Her sister Vanessa said, “We’ve spoken to friends about it, and one of my friends actually decided to take my advice and went for a check up. They found a strand but managed to remove it before it got to a more serious stage.” “In a way, it also acts as a personal reminder for me to get myself checked,” she added. Get involved There are a number of activities you can do  to spread the word: 1) Cervical Cancer Risk Questionnaire 2) Photo Pledge 3) Digital Engagement – POCC Website and Facebook Page 4) Go-Kart Race for Charity (21 April 2012) 5) POCC Goes to University To find out more details, visit the POCC website.