Lights at Night Linked to Breast Cancer

[environmentalist]

From THE ENVIRONMENTALIST:

A study of NASA satellite data, overlaid with reported cancer statistics, has identified nighttime exposure to lighted areas as a risk factor for breast cancer:

Women who live in neighborhoods with large amounts of nighttime illumination are more likely to get breast cancer than those who live in areas where nocturnal darkness prevails, according to an unusual study that overlaid satellite images of Earth onto cancer registries.

"By no means are we saying that light at night is the only or the major risk factor for breast cancer," said Itai Kloog, of the University of Haifa, who led the new work. "But we found a clear and strong correlation that should be taken into consideration."

Source links, recommendations and more at this link

[bananas]

1. But nighttime illumanition probably also correlates with pollution. nt

[HereSince1628]

3. Maybe spurious correlations are part of the war on science

People actually live in communities where for safety and security there are lights, and people really do get cancer.

I wouldn't be surporised if this was used to defend some of the Cheney administration's cowboil cronies. I can already hear the defense attornies "Pollution from our clients' chemical plants are not as strongly correlated to cancer as street lights."

[izquierdista]

2. Wealthy suburbs

are dark and quiet at night, while single-wides next to the oil refinery are lit by all the facility lighting. Yes, I can see why photons are the cause, what else could it be??? :shrug: :shrug:

[Berry Cool]

4. Nah, it's all women's fault for making too many trips to Las Vegas.

If they'd stay home in their boring little hometowns, nothing bad would ever happen to them. :sarcasm:

[Ferry Fey]

5. Earlier sexual maturation has been linked as well

More light exposure was linked to earlier sexual maturation in girls years ago.

For those who didn't read the link, they are thinking that melatonin could be a factor. Don't automatically blow it away without looking at the details.

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. Cancer rates increase with decreased amounts of sleep

http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/65/20/9595
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/10/031001060734.htm
http://www.google.com/search?q=sleep+%22breast+cancer%22

People without artificial lighting tend to sleep when it gets dark.

[applegrove]

7. Apparently lots of kids got leukimia as rural homes had light bulbs installed

in the 1930s & 1940s. Didn't know to believe it or not. Now I do.