Night shift work and lung cancer risk: a prospective cohort study with mediator analysis from the UK Biobank

Jun 9, 2025Sleep

Night shift work and lung cancer risk: a long-term UK Biobank study examining possible pathways

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Abstract

In a cohort of 278,650 participants, 1,524 cases of lung cancer were identified over a median follow-up of 10.64 years.

  • There is a significant dose-response relationship between current and lung cancer risk, with higher risks associated with more frequent night shifts.
  • Specifically, working some night shifts is associated with a of 1.28 for lung cancer compared to those who never or rarely work night shifts.
  • Smoking is identified as a significant mediator in the association between night shift work and lung cancer risk.
  • Key biological mediators identified include prostasin, alkaline phosphatase, and carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5, which together explain over 25 percent of the total effect.

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Key numbers

1.84
Increased Lung Cancer Risk
comparing night shift workers to day workers.
32.28%
Smoking Mediation Proportion
Proportion of the total effect attributed to smoking status.
1524
Incident Lung Cancer Cases
Total lung cancer cases during a median follow-up of 10.64 years.

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