Introduction
Nursing is the vanguard of healthcare; they spend their lives treating others. Yet they do so in a physically demanding job that also puts them at a unique set of occupational risks, such as predisposition to certain cancers, including breast cancer. Researchers have attributed this increased risk to work exposures, lifestyle changes brought on by the stress of the profession, and potential delays in seeking individual care. Knowing why nurses fall prey to such ailments is essential, both for their safety and for the prevention of care delivery systems. This article focuses on nurse cancer risk and causes, occupational and personal influences, and steps you can take to lower these risks.
Causes of Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a result of genetic, hormonal, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Genetics is one of the biggest factors, with BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations especially prominent. Women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, particularly in the first-degree relatives, are at greater risk. The hormonal effect isn’t completely out of it, either, because increased levels of estrogen and progesterone—whether from early menstruation, late menopause, or hormone replacement therapy—promote breast cancer growth. Reproductive risk factors, such as not breastfeeding or a first child born after 30 years old, further increase their risk.
The risk factors are well-known: obesity, alcohol, and lack of physical activity. Excess fat tissue increases estrogen levels, while alcohol and inactivity drive metabolic changes that can lead to cancer. Environmental and work stressors, like previous chest radiation or extended healthcare exposure to carcinogens, also may increase the likelihood of breast cancer. In nurses and other night workers, late-night hours lower melatonin, a cancer-fighting hormone.
Age and gender do not reduce the risk of breast cancer, which primarily affects women over 50. It’s far more common in women than in men, though males are not. If you have had benign breast diseases like abnormal hyperplasia or cancer, you are more likely to get breast cancer. Moreover, a depleted immune system and long-term stress can affect the body’s resistance to abnormal cells, leading to cancers.
When late-stage diagnoses are unavailable due to missed screening or delayed symptoms, treatment becomes less effective and less likely to be successful. Regular screening, regular doctor visits, and early symptom awareness are crucial. What’s more, a healthy lifestyle, such as a healthy diet, exercise, and moderate drinking, reduces breast cancer risk significantly. Limiting risk factors and occupational risks may decrease susceptibility even further and increase results.
Tips for Cancer Prevention
For the prevention of cancer, one should lead a healthy lifestyle, be sensitive to risk factors and take the time to get regular health exams. So here are some straightforward cancer prevention tips:
Adopt a Healthy Diet:
Be a fruit, vegetable, whole grain, and low-fat protein person.
Stop junk food, red meat, and high-carb snacks.
Be sure to have antioxidant foods like berries, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.
Maintain a Healthy Weight:
Healthy weight: Eat properly and exercise at a steady rate so that you can maintain it.
Don’t be obese, because obesity has been associated with cancer in different types, such as breast, colon, and pancreatic. Reduce Stress: Vaccinate Against Cancer-Linked Viruses
Stay Physically Active:
– Do 150 minutes of moderate aerobics or 75 minutes of vigorous fitness each week.
Include strength training two times a week.
Research Evidence Based
There’s also evidence to suggest that nurses can develop certain cancers, such as breast cancer, as a result of occupational exposure and work conditions. Nurses who had been on shift work at night for 30 years or more were 36% more likely to develop breast cancer than those who hadn’t done it in a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Furthermore, a literature review found that regular radiation exposure (more than once a week for 10 years) increased the risk of breast cancer by 20 percent.
These results suggest that the increased cancer risk among nursing workers may be due to working overnights and exposure to high levels of radiation.
Conclusion
Occupational exposures and life habits predispose nurses to certain cancers, particularly breast cancer. Several scientific studies point to night-shift work, radiation, and stress as major factors leading to this increased risk. These results point to the need for specific interventions—raising awareness, pushing for regular health checks, and providing workplace safety precautions. Healthcare facilities can better safeguard their nursing staff and improve their well-being by proactively dealing with these risk factors.
Sources:
Gradishar, W. J., & Wood, W. C. (2000). Advances in breast cancer management (2nd ed.). Springer Science & Business Media.
Lie, J.-A. S., & Kjærheim, K. (2003). Cancer risk among female nurses: A literature review. European Journal of Cancer Prevention, 12(6), 517–526. https://www.jstor.org/stable/45074378
Schernhammer, E. S., Laden, F., Speizer, F. E., Willett, W. C., Hunter, D. J., Kawachi, I., & Colditz, G. A. (2001). Rotating night shifts and risk of breast cancer in women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study. JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 93(20), 1563–1568. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/93.20.1563
Wei, F., Chen, W., & Lin, X. (2021). Night-shift work, breast cancer incidence, and all-cause mortality: An updated meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Sleep and Breathing, 26(4), 1509–1526. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-021-02523-9
Written By.
Juram Gorriceta MPA HCM BSN RN, PMEC, LSSWBC, AIPEC
Healthcarebeyond 
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