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Does Light Have a Dark Side?

Nighttime illumination might elevate cancer risk

A host of new studies hints how exposure to light at night might foster the development of certain cancers.

 

References:

Baldwin, W.S., and C. Barrett. 1998. Melatonin: Receptor-mediated events that may affect breast and other steroid hormone-dependent cancers. Molecular Carcinogenesis 21(March):149.

Dauchy, R.T. . . . D.E. Blask, et al. 1997. Light contamination during the dark phase in "photoperiodically controlled" animal rooms: Effect on tumor growth and metabolism in rats. Laboratory Animal Science 47(October):511.

Feychting, M., B. Österlund, and A. Ahlbom. 1998. Reduced cancer incidence among the blind. Epidemiology(September):490.

Hahn, R.A. 1998. Does blindness protect against cancers? Epidemiology 9(September).

______. 1991. Profound bilateral blindness and the incidence of breast cancer. Epidemiology 2(May):208.

Lockley, S.W., et al. 1997. Relationship between melatonin rhythms and visual loss in the blind. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 82(November):3763.

 

Further Readings:

1995. Hormones help elderly sleep. Science News 148(Sept. 9):175.

Brainard, G.C., et al. 1988. Dose-response relationship between light irradiance and the suppression of plasma melatonin in human volunteers. Brain Research 454:212.

Coleman, M.P., and R.J. Reiter. 1992. Breast cancer, blindness and melatonin. European Journal of Cancer 28:501.

Lewy, A.J., et al. 1980. Light suppresses melatonin secretion in humans. Science 210(Dec. 12):1267.

Raloff, J. 1998. EMF's biological influences. Science News 153(Jan. 10):29.

______. 1996. Eyes possess their own biological clock. Science News 149(April 20):245.

______. 1995. Drug of darkness. Science News 147(May 13):300.

______. 1993. EcoCancers. Science News 144(July 3):10.

Ruberg, F.L. . . . G.C. Brainard. 1996. Melatonin regulation in humans with color vision deficiencies. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 81(August):2980.

Weiss, R. 1989. Recent awakenings in melatonin research. Science News 136(Nov. 11):317.

The National Science Foundation Center for Biological Timing Home Page is available at http://www.cbt.virginia.edu/index.html.

 

Sources:

J. Carl Barrett
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis
P.O. Box 12233
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

George C. Brainard
Thomas Jefferson University
Neurology Department
Jefferson Medical College
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Maria Feychting
Institute of Environmental Medicine
Box 210
S-171 77 Stockholm
Sweden

Eero Pukkala
Institute for Statistical and Epidemiological Cancer Research
Finnish Cancer Registry
Liisankatu 21 B
FIN-00170 Helsinki
Finland

Russel J. Reiter
University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
Department of Cellular and Structural Biology
7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, TX 78284-7762

Richard Stevens
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Richland, WA 99352

From Science News, Vol. 154, No. 16, October 17, 1998, p. 252.
Copyright Ó 1998 by Science Service.

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