High-risk cancer screening urged for overnight workers
Last Updated: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 | 10:40 AM ET
CBC News
Denmark's move to compensate women who developed breast cancer after working night shifts shows a need for new vigilance when it comes to people working overnight, Canadian cancer and labour advocates say.
The Danish government made the decision following a ruling in 2007 by the World Health Organization's cancer wing that declared overnight shift work "probably carcinogenic to humans."
The ruling stems from a review of scientific research including several population studies
"The Canadian Breast Cancer Network would really call for high-risk screening groups to include women who are working shift work, working at night, and the high-risk screening involves having an MRI," said the group's president, Diana Ermel of Fredericton. "It's not just a mammogram."
About 20 per cent of Canadians work shifts, many of them overnight, including 10,000 postal workers who sort mail into the morning.
Their union highlighted studies linking cancer to shift work over a decade ago, and used them to support their case for more time off.
"We will really look at these new studies coming out and really find ways to maybe negotiate with the employer," said Denis Lemelin of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers in Ottawa.
In Canada, it would be up to provincial health ministries and workers' compensation boards to decide if the links between cancer and overnight shift work are strong enough to warrant further investigation.
