Exposure to Light at Night and Risk of Cancer: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Data Synthesis.
Samuel Ma1, Yossef Alsabawi2, Hashem B El-Serag3,4
1School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Cancers
|August 10, 2024
Summary
Exposure to light at night (LAN) is linked to increased breast cancer risk in women. More research is needed to understand LAN
Area of Science:
- Environmental health
- Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Growing evidence suggests environmental factors, like light at night (LAN), may contribute to cancer development.
- This study systematically reviews observational research on the association between LAN exposure and various cancer types.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies investigating the link between light at night (LAN) exposure and cancer risk.
- To assess the association between LAN and multiple cancer types.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was performed across PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase up to May 2023.
- Included studies focused on adult populations and LAN exposure. Random effects models were used for meta-analysis, and study quality was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool.
Main Results:
- Out of 8492 identified studies, 26 met the inclusion criteria, covering diverse cancer types globally.
- A meta-analysis of 19 breast cancer studies revealed a positive association between higher indoor (RR 1.08) and outdoor (RR 1.10) LAN exposure and increased breast cancer risk.
- No significant associations were found for other cancer types due to a lack of sufficient studies.
Conclusions:
- Light at night (LAN) exposure is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in women.
- There is a significant lack of research on LAN exposure and other cancer types.
- Further investigation is crucial to elucidate the role of LAN in the etiology of various cancers.
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