Is prostate cancer incidence worldwide linked to artificial light at night exposures? Review of earlier findings and analysis of current trends

Nataliya A. Rybnikova, Abraham Haim, Boris A. Portnov

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Widespread use of artificial light at night (ALAN) might contribute to the global burden of hormone-dependent cancers. Previous attempts to verify this association in population-level studies have been sparse. Using GLOBOCAN, US-DMSP, and World Bank 2010–2012 databases, we studied the association between ALAN and prostate cancer (PC) incidence in 180 countries worldwide, controlling for several country-level confounders. The PC–ALAN association emerged marginally significant when year-2012 PC age-standardized rate data were compared with ALAN levels (t = 1.886, p <.1); this association was more significant (t > 2.7; p <.01) when only 110 countries with well-maintained cancer registries were analyzed. Along with other variables, ALAN explains up to 79% of PC ASR variability. PC–ALAN association appears to vary regionally, with the greatest deviations in Central Africa, Small Island Developing States, Southeast Asia, and Gulf States.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)111-122
Number of pages12
JournalArchives of Environmental and Occupational Health
Volume72
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 4 Mar 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Taylor & Francis.

Keywords

  • Age standardized incidence rates
  • artificial light at night (ALAN)
  • circadian disruption
  • melatonin suppression
  • regional differences
  • world countries

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Toxicology
  • General Environmental Science
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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