Shift Workers and Musicians at Risk

Tayfun Hancılar, Chief Physician and Oncologist at Okan University Hospital, offers invaluable advice to keep our cancer risk at the lowest possible level. We now all know how effective Mediterranean-style nutrition, rich in vegetables and fruits and low in saturated fats, is in preventing cancer. However, a Spanish population-based study published in June in the International Journal of Cancer shows that eating dinner before 21:00 and going to bed at least two hours later significantly reduces the risk of both breast and prostate cancer. In these individuals, a 20% reduction in breast cancer and prostate cancer risk was observed compared to those who ate dinner late and went to bed immediately. Shift work systems are known to affect the body's circadian rhythm—our biological clock—which is regulated by light and darkness, potentially leading to sleep disorders, obesity, diabetes, and depression. Additionally, when considering the disrupted meal times and sleep schedules of these individuals, no matter how carefully we watch our diet, without regular meal times and sleep routines, cancer risk can increase. For shift workers, particularly those working in unsuitable conditions—such as musicians performing at night in venues typically filled with cigarette smoke—the risk is considerably higher. Therefore, in addition to the advice to "eat healthily" to protect against cancer, we say: "eat dinner early, go to bed at least two hours later, choose regular sleep, and do not give up staying positive."