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Harvard study shows increased breast cancer risk with light exposure at night

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/outdoor-light-night-breast-cancer/

http://wtop.com/science/2017/08/har...east-cancer-risk-and-light-exposure-at-night/

The new study, the most comprehensive to date to examine possible links between outdoor light at night and breast cancer, looked at data from nearly 110,000 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II from 1989-2013. The researchers linked data from satellite images of Earth taken at nighttime to residential addresses for each study participant, and also considered the influence of night shift work. The study also factored in detailed information on a variety of health and socioeconomic factors among participants.

Women exposed to the highest levels of outdoor light at night—those in the top fifth—had an estimated 14% increased risk of breast cancer during the study period, as compared with women in the bottom fifth of exposure, the researchers found. As levels of outdoor light at night increased, so did breast cancer rates.

Everything causes cancer, etc. Seems like our new night owl habits have some long term effects we are now just figuring out.
 

Zeus Molecules

illegal immigrants are stealing our air
Are they talking about the light off the moon and stars
? Also is a cause of cancer or just a unrelated coincidence?
 

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
So street lamp are worse for us than indoor lamps?

The study used satellite images as data source, they didn't have data on indoor lighting use and such. We could presume indoor lighting would have similar impact. But this research sounds like a mere observation of a potential correlation.
 

J-Tier

Member
Seems incredibly specific and hard to test accurately. I wonder if it's just correlation? I'm more curious as to how lights at night can increase the chance of cancer and not any other factors (i.e. nighttime activities like drinking and partying)
 

Noobcraft

Member
Are they talking about the moon. Also is a cause of cancer or just a unrelated coincidence?
The idea I got from the article is that artificial lights may disrupt the circadian rhythm of women exposed to them at night, which could be correlated with increased breast cancer risk.
 

Baconmonk

Member
A choice line from the second article:
Electric light is one of the signature inventions of an inventive species.
Is it? We're the only species we know of that has artificial light. What a ridiculous sentence.
 
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