neighborhood light linked to breast cancer

celia088

 LIGHTS AT NIGHT TIED TO BREAST CANCER

By Rick Weiss

The Washington Post

WASHINGTON — Women who live in neighborhoods with large amounts of nighttime illumination are more likely to get breast cancer than those who live in areas where nocturnal darkness prevails, according to a study that overlaid satellite images of Earth onto cancer registries.

The finding adds credence to the hypothesis that exposure to too much light at night can raise the risk of breast cancer by interfering with the brain's production of a tumor-suppressing hormone.

"By no means are we saying that light at night is the only or the major risk factor for breast cancer," said Itai Kloog, of the University of Haifa in Israel, who led the new work. "But we found a clear and strong correlation that should be taken into consideration."

Scientists have known for years that rats raised in cages where lights are left on for much of the night have higher cancer rates than those allowed to sleep in darkness. And epidemiological studies of nurses, flight attendants and others who work at night have found breast-cancer rates 60 percent above normal, even when other factors such as differences in diet are accounted for.

On the basis of such studies, an arm of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in December its decision to classify shift work as a "probable carcinogen." That put the night shift in the same health-risk category as exposure to such toxic chemicals as trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

The mechanism of such a link, if real, remains mysterious, but many scientists suspect melatonin is key. Secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, the hormone helps prevent tumor formation. The body produces melatonin primarily at night, and levels drop precipitously in the presence of light, especially light in the blue part of the spectrum produced in quantity by computer screens and fluorescent bulbs.

Kloog and his colleagues obtained satellite data from NASA that showed in great detail how much light was emitted skyward from neighborhoods throughout Israel.

The team then overlaid a map of that information with local statistics on cases of breast cancer and, for comparison, lung cancer, which is caused mostly by smoking and so would not be expected to be linked to light.

After using neighborhood data to correct for other factors that can affect cancer rates, the researchers found no link between night lighting and lung cancer, they report in this week's online issue of the journal Chronobiology International.

But the researchers found the breast-cancer rate in localities with average night lighting to be 37 percent higher than in communities with the lowest amount of light; and they noted that the rate was higher by an additional 27 percent in areas with the highest amount of light.

Abraham Haim, a University of Haifa chronobiologist involved in the study, said the findings raise questions about the push to switch to energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, which suppress melatonin production more than incandescent bulbs. "This may be a disaster in another 20 years, and you won't be able to reverse what we did by mistake," Haim said.

Cancer deaths rise after 2-year decline

ATLANTA — U.S. cancer deaths rose by more than 5,000 in 2005, a reversal of a two-year downward trend, the American Cancer Society said in a new report.

The group counted 559,312 people who died from cancer.

The cancer-death rate among the overall population continued to fall, but only slightly, after a couple of years of more substantial decline.

The cancer-death rate has been dropping since the early 1990s, and early in this decade was declining by about 1 percent a year. The number of cancer deaths kept rising, however, because of the growing population. So it was big news when the rate dropped by 2 percent in 2003 and 2004, enough to cause the total number of cancer deaths to fall for the first time since 1930.

— The Associated Press

badboob67

This is not the first time I've read about MELATONIN and its relationship to bc. Two years ago--shorty after my dx--I asked my onc if it was okay for me to take MELATONIN as a sleep aid. I have struggled with insomnia for years and had been taking MELATONIN on an off for at least 15 years. She directed me to Sloan Kettering's website that had information about a study using as much as 20 mg of MELATONIN as a tx for breast cancer. I have never taken more than 5-6mg at a time and can't imagine what 20mg would do to me, but I did find it very interesting that there was a possible link.

The University of Maryland Medical Center has this informative page about MELATONIN and possible links to several different conditions.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/melatonin-000315.htm 

I found it very informative. I was struck by the fact that MELATONIN is linked to at least 4 health issues I have experienced. Its link to ANOREXIA was of particular interest to me as I suffered with anorexia/bulimia for a number of years.

They might really be onto something here. MELATONIN is inexpensive and accessible. It is considered to be relatively safe at levels up to 6mg daily. I wonder if my "self-medicating" with MELATONIN in the years leading up to my dx with bc and mets slowed the disease process? There is evidence in my medical records and my experience that I had physical changes consistent with bc at least 15 years prior to my dx--just couldn't get the right doctor to listen to me. hmmmmm

I wonder if the fact that MELATONIN is so cheap and readily available is going to keep it from being investigated thoroughly, though?? 

pattyc63

I just saw this on FOX News and was coming here to post about it. I find it interesting. Now I have to think back to everyplace I have lived to see if I had a lot of night light. I know I lived in a condo that was very near a power co. and had a few power towers/ lines and large generators. Gives one a lot to ponder about.

Patty

AnnNYC

Whoa.

Well, I've had a fair amount of light coming through the window in many apts in New York.

But to top it off, I developed a habit of SLEEPING WITH THE LIGHTS ON, starting on September 11, 2001.  No family history. 

I'm blaming my fear of the dark for this one!  And ordering my 4 younger sisters to get blackout curtains!

Isabella4

Well, I can blow this theory right out of the water !! 

I have a 'thing' about lights, I'm always switching them off, I would live in semi darkness if I lived alone. I can find my way around my house, and outbuildings very well without any lights at all.

My DD and DS are just like me. We all three go round switching off as many lights as we can. As soon as DH puts a light on, I either go out of the room, or turn it off.

Should've been a mole....do moles get bc !!!!?

Isabella.

arnica

There is also a study showing that women who have types of blindness that suppress any light from entering the eye - have a lower incidence of breast cancer because they have higher levels of melatonin.  Several years ago I got into the bad habit of sleeping with the television or lights on. I am not making a direct connection between this and my breast cancer. But I'm aware of it now and sleep in a dark room. My naturopathic physician put me on 20 mg of melatonin at bedtime and I've taken it for several months now.  Don't buy those lower dose 5 mg. melatonin tablets off the shelf and take 4 of them because there are probably other ingredients in them and who knows whether taking a large amount is safe.  A pure 20 mg. melatonin tablet can be purchased through a naturopathic physician or other health care provider - can't be purchased directly by a patient.

JohnSmith

Apologies in advance for resurrecting a very old thread, but it's unnecessary to create a new one since this latest research is relevant to this topic.

April 2016: "Study investigates light, biological clocks, estrogen receptor expression in the breast"
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-04-biological-c...

Maureen1

Thanks for sharing this research!

Fallleaves

Thanks for posting the new study, JohnSmith! I've been collecting studies about light at night (LAN), melatonin and breast cancer. This looks like a good thread for me to share them on, if anyone is interested in looking at the research.

CIRCADIAN REGULATION METABOLIC SIGNALING MECHANISMS OF HUMAN BREAST CANCER GROWTH BY THE NOCTURNAL MELATONIN SIGNAL AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF ITS DISRUPTION BY LIGHT AT NIGHT
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3162043/
(Blask, 2011)

Chronic shift-lag alters the circadian clock of natural killer cells and promotes lung cancer growth in rats
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3294088/
(Logan, 2012)

Circadian disruption and breast cancer: An epigenetic link?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4627279/
(Kochan, 2015)

Can Avoiding Light at Night Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26631258
(Keshet-Sitton, 2015)

Artificial light at night: melatonin as a mediator between the environment and epigenome
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/370/1667/20140121.long
(Haim, 2015)

Melatonin, Noncoding RNAs, Messenger RNA Stability and Epigenetics—Evidence, Hints, Gaps and Perspectives
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4227213/
(Hardeland, 2014)

Carcinogenic effects of circadian disruption: an epigenetic viewpoint
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4593354/
(Salavaty, 2015)

Melatonin: an Inhibitor of Breast Cancer
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4457700/
(Hill, 2015)

Circadian and melatonin disruption by exposure to light at night drives intrinsic resistance to tamoxifen therapy in breast cancer.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25062775
(Dauchy, 2014)

Doxorubin resistance driven by light at night/melatonin disruption
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25857269
(Xiang, 2015)

Melatonin: Buffering the Immune System
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3645767/
(Carrillo-Vico, 2013)

[The influence of melatonin on the immune system and cancer].

[Article in Danish]
"A number of studies have documented that when given in combination with chemo-therapy to patients with disseminated disease, melatonin increases the overall one-year survival and reduces toxic side effects."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26027592

(Vinther, 2015)

wallycat

I've been taking 20mg of melatonin since I got my dx, mainly because tamoxifen made sleeping impossible. All my research lo those many years ago indicated it could be beneficial and that some studies used upwards of 200mg without toxicity. I have found 10mg tablets and/or capsules (even walmart sells 10mg) and I just take 2.

JohnSmith

Thanks for posting those links Fallleaves.

I'm trying to recall what clinical trials have been done on Melatonin. I'm only aware of these two.

1. Dana-Farber finished a small clinical trial of 100 patients back in 2010 called "Melatonin versus Placebo in Breast Cancer".
www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01805089

2. Stanford has an ongoing trial of ~100 patients that ends Summer 2017. It's called "Sleep, Circadian Hormonal Dysregulation, and Breast Cancer Survival"
www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT00519168

My wife has been taking 3mg for a year now, based on the recommendation of her MO, who said it synergistically works with Tam.

Oddly enough, I stumbled across this huffingtonpost.com article last month that said that continuous use of Melatonin could make the Melatonin receptor unresponsive. This was not a scientific research article and came from the "sleep study" industry who were discussing Melatonin abuse by those using it for insomnia. Still, it raises some interesting questions and I'll reach out to the authors Dr. Richard Wurtman and Dr. Michael Grander to get their opinion.

Fallleaves

Thanks for the links to the studies and the article, JohnSmith. That Huff Post article is interesting. Surprising that the optimal dosage as a sleep aid is only .3 mg. I take 5 mg nightly and have never noticed a "hangover effect" (although I think they said it only happens to a minority anyway). I do think it helps me sleep through my husband's snoring, though! The tone of the article seemed a little overly critical to me, considering there's not much evidence of harm that she could actually point to.

I've read that melatonin can be produced by the gastrointestinal tract from many foods (oranges, bananas, oatmeal, walnuts, tart cherries, etc.), so that may be an alternate way to get more melatonin for anyone not wanting to take a supplement.

I'll be interested in what you find out from Drs. Wurtman and Grander, JohnSmith! Thanks for contacting them.

Anonymous

Thanks so much for this info. I have taken 3 mg for over 5 years. Does anyone have any factual info on taking melatonin for years

Heidihill

I usually only take less than a dropperful (ca. 0.7 mg), mostly in the summertime, as I seem to have more problems then with falling asleep. If I take the regular dose I have vivid dreams and sleep paralysis.

JohnSmith

New article: Pre-clinical models reveal that Melatonin reduced proliferation of breast cancer stem cells in ER+ tumors.
https://blog.cirm.ca.gov/2016/08/24/sleep-inducing-hormone-puts-breast-cancer-cells-to-rest

TAGS: CSCs, transcription factor OCT4, encoded by the POU5F1 gene, mammospheres, Bisphenol A (BPA), MCF-7 cells

Lisey

Thank you John for the article. I guess I'll start taking the 5mg melatonin I bought.

sas-schatzi

Folks I think John's link should be posted around in the threads you frequent.

1.Reason is most here have sleep problems.

2. It is a naturally occurring in the body

3. we need to use any thing that gives us an edge.

My personal experience with it is I used it for several years after BC @ the 10mg level along with Ativan. I had horrible insomnia. My ER+ path report said unfavorable outcome in two places. Always wondered why I haven't met'sd yet. Now 7 1/2 years.

I keep wondering if there was "something" I was doing that was helping?

Recent research is keying in on other things other than standard chemo drugs we need to keep these on our radar and make the decision whether they are reasonable to add to our regimen.

We all know it's still a crapshoot. I find that word the most disgusting word in the dictionary. So, this is an emphatic statement.

John reposting on my usual threads. Thanks for all the research you do.

18 hours ago JohnSmith wrote:

New article: Pre-clinical models reveal that Melatonin reduced proliferation of breast cancer stem cells in ER+ tumors.
https://blog.cirm.ca.gov/2016/08/24/sleep-inducing-hormone-puts-breast-cancer-cells-to-rest

TAGS: CSCs, transcription factor OCT4, encoded by the POU5F1 gene, mammospheres, Bisphenol A (BPA), MCF-7 cells

Fallleaves

I really hope more doctors will start encouraging their patients to take melatonin, like many of them are doing with vitamin D.

There are some studies showing that melatonin can synergize with various BC treatments, and may provide benefit as an anesthetic agent (which I will post later).

Very few clinical trials so far, but the one that I've seen involved radiation dermatitis, so I would hope doctors would start by encouraging patients to take it with radiation therapy.

Melatonin for Prevention of Breast Radiation Dermatitis: A Phase II, Prospective, Double-Blind Randomized Trial.

"The occurrence of grade 1/2 acute radiation dermatitis was significantly lower (59% vs. 90%, P = 0.038) in the melatonin group. Women older than 50 had significantly less dermatitis than younger patients (56% vs. 100%, P = 0.021). The maximal radiation dermatitis in the study group was grade 2 in 15% of the treated patients."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27228641

(Ben-David, 2016)

These studies indicate the benefits may go beyond preventing radiation dermatitis:

Melatonin sensitizes human breast cancer cells to ionizing radiation by downregulating proteins involved in double-strand DNA break repair.

Pretreatment of breast cancer cells with melatonin 1 wk before radiation led to a significantly greater decrease of MCF-7 cell proliferation compared with radiation alone. Melatonin pretreatment before radiation also decreased G2 -M phase arrest compared with irradiation alone, with a higher percentage of cells in the G0 -G1 phase and a lower percentage of cells in S phase. Radiation alone diminished RAD51 and DNA-protein kinase (PKcs) mRNA expression, two main proteins involved in double-strand DNA break repair. Treatment with melatonin for 7 days before radiation led to a significantly greater decrease in RAD51 and DNA-PKcs mRNA expression compared with radiation alone. Our findings suggest that melatonin pretreatment before radiation sensitizes breast cancer cells to the ionizing effects of radiation by decreasing cell proliferation, inducing cell cycle arrest and downregulating proteins involved in double-strand DNA break repair.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25623566

(Alonzo-Gonzalez, 2015)

Melatonin enhancement of the radiosensitivity of human breast cancer cells is associated with the modulation of proteins involved in estrogen biosynthesis.

We demonstrated a role of melatonin in mediating the sensitization of human breast cancer cells to the ionizing radiation by decreasing around 50% the activity and expression of proteins involved in the synthesis of estrogens in these cells. Thus, melatonin pretreatment before radiation reduces the amount of active estrogens at cancer cell level. Melatonin 1 nM induced a 2-fold change in p53 expression as compared to radiation alone. The regulatory action of melatonin on p53 could be a link between melatonin and its modulatory action on the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to ionizing radiation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26497762

(Alonzo-Gonzalez, 2016)