JAKARTA - Poor sleep patterns are associated with an increased likelihood of a number of cancers in people under the age of 50. However, experts warn that the findings have not proven that sleep disorders are a direct cause of cancer.
The Guardian, quoted Thursday, July 23, said the conclusion came from two large studies that analyzed health data from more than 18 million adults in the United States aged 18 to 50.
Poor sleep is a broad term that includes low sleep quality, irregular sleep time, too short sleep, or frequent waking. Meanwhile, insomnia is a more specific disorder, such as difficulty falling asleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, or waking up too early.
The research was led by a team from Jefferson Health New Jersey in Stratford, New Jersey, as well as Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, one of the largest cancer conferences in the world.
Researchers found people with poor sleep patterns were more likely to develop bowel, breast, womb or ovarian cancer before the age of 50.
In some cases, people under 50 who are diagnosed with insomnia are three times more likely to develop cancer within five years.
"These findings suggest that sleep disturbances may be an important risk factor and can be improved in assessing the risk of early-onset cancer," the researchers said.
They emphasized that the relationship still needed to be further investigated.
The number of early-age cancer cases in the world has increased by almost 80 percent in three decades, from 1.82 million in 1990 to 3.26 million in 2019. Deaths from cancer in people in their 40s, 30s, or younger have also increased by 27 percent.
The study, published in BMJ Oncology, noted that more than 1 million people under the age of 50 die of cancer every year.
Claire Coughlan from Bowel Cancer UK said bowel cancer is still more common in people over 50. However, evidence from various countries shows the number of cases in younger groups is increasing.
"We don't know for sure what the cause is. Researchers currently suspect that genetic factors and lifestyle may play a role," said Coughlan.
According to Coughlan, the findings on insomnia may help explain the increase in bowel cancer at a young age. However, the results of the study still need to be tested further.
Dr David Garley from the Better Sleep Clinic in Bristol urged caution over the findings.
He emphasized that the study only found a relationship, not evidence that sleep disorders cause cancer in people under the age of 50.
Garley said lack of sleep can also make it more difficult for someone to live a healthy lifestyle. This condition can be related to alcohol consumption, obesity, lack of exercise, and smoking.
He also explained that sleep plays a role in the recovery of the immune system. Disturbances in this function may also affect the risk of a number of cancers.
However, the direction of the relationship can be the other way around. Cancer that has not caused clear symptoms may first change a person's sleep patterns.
The Guardian also said experts who were not involved in the study responded positively to the findings, but asked for longer observations before conclusions were drawn.
Megan Winter from Cancer Research UK said further research was still needed to confirm the link between insomnia and some types of cancer in people under 50.
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