Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., M.S.

A new study published in the 2005 Journal of the National Cancer Institute, seems to confirm that women with the highest levels of melatonin -- a hormone the body produces only when a person is sleeping at night, in the dark -- have a breast cancer risk that is 40 per cent lower than those with low levels of melatonin.

According to Dr. Eva Schernhammer, an epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said the research suggests that "melatonin secretion may play an important role in breast cancer development."

She said that when and how well a woman sleeps may also influence whether she develops breast cancer, and that sleep patterns could also have an impact on tumor development as well as the effectiveness of treatment.

A number of studies have shown that workers who regularly work the late-night shift, such as nurses, are about twice as likely to develop breast cancer as those who work day shifts.

How the Study was Conducted

The study by Dr. Schernhammer and a team at Harvard University focused on 147 women who developed breast cancer and they were compared with 291 women of similar background who did not develop it.

The researchers measured levels of melatonin in the urine of women before and after they developed breast cancer.

Important Facts about Melatonin

Melatonin production peaks at night, and exposure to light at night interrupts production of the hormone.

When this occurs, it also stimulates a women's ovaries to produce extra estrogen.

It is now well known that excess production of estrogen is a known risk for breast cancer.

The Results of the Study

Of the 25 per cent of women with the lowest levels of melatonin, 50 developed breast cancer; by comparison, among the 25 per cent with the highest levels of melatonin, 23 developed breast cancer.

In the new study, researchers found that melatonin levels were sharply lower in women who developed breast cancer, even well before their diagnosis.

Dr. Schernhammer study tends to support the concept that higher melatonin levels are associated with a lower risk of breast cancer.

One of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of breast cancer may be to regularly get a good night's sleep -- in the dark.

Dr. Grisanti's Comments
I recommend that you ask your physician to order a melatonin test. If interested, you can also call my office and you can order a melatonin test kit.

This is a urine or saliva test and can be done in the privacy of your home. If interested, I will send you a written report with a copy of your melatonin test and offer some suggestions based on these results.

You can call my office and ask for Debbie at 864-292-0226

References
Schernhammer ES, Hankinson SE. Urinary melatonin levels and breast cancer risk. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 Jul 20;97(14):1084-7.

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