Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34775538›Full record

SynthesisSleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung2022

Night-shift work, breast cancer incidence, and all-cause mortality: an updated meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

Fengqin Wei, Weiyu Chen, Xiaoti Lin

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Association of Low Back Pain with Shift Work: A Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Pooled it
  6. Article
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  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Impaired Responses to In Vitro Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Stimulation After Long-Term, Rotating Shift Work.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Article
  14. Review
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  17. BioClocks UK: driving robust cycles of discovery to impact.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2025
    Review
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  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Fengqin Wei *Department of Geriatrics, Fujian Provincial 2Nd People's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, China.
Weiyu Chen *Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Xiaoti LinDepartment of Breast Surgery, Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China. linxt3@mail2.sysu.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0003-0813-6108

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesNight-shift work exposure is proposed to link to a wide range of health issues, especially cancer incidence, cancer-specific death, and all-cause death. However, the epidemiological associations among night-shift work exposure, breast cancer, breast cancer-specific death, and all-cause mortality remain inconclusive.

methodsWe performed an updated systematic review and meta-analysis to confirm potential associations among night-shift work exposure, breast cancer, and all-cause mortality.

resultsA total of 31 prospective cohort studies, involving 9.3 million participants, 31,244 incident breast cancer cases, 12,728 cancer-related deaths, 7882 cardiovascular deaths, and 30,807 all-cause mortalities were included. Overall, the summary RR of incident breast cancer in females for an increase of night-shift work was 1.029 (95% CI 1.003-1.055). Compared with standard day workers, night-shift workers had a statistically significantly increased RR (1.086, 95% CI 1.032-1.142) for breast cancer incidence in the subgroup of > 10 years exposure. Furthermore, a positive association was revealed in subgroup studies of rotating night-shift work (RR = 1.053, 95% CI 1.018-1.090). A significant increased risk of cardiovascular mortality was demonstrated in the night-shift work group (RR = 1.031; 95% CI 1.006-1.057).

conclusionOur systematic review and meta-analysis provided convincing evidence supporting positive associations among night-shift work exposure, breast cancer incidence, and cardiovascular mortality. Taken together, night-shift work exposure significantly increased the risk of breast cancer morbidity by 2.9% for total, 8.6% for the subgroup of more than 10 years night-shift work, and 5.3% for rotating night-shift work. In addition, night-shift work increased the risk of cardiovascular mortality by 3.1%.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCardiovascular DiseasesShift Work ScheduleFemaleHumansIncidenceProspective StudiesRisk FactorsWork Schedule ToleranceAll-cause mortalityBreast cancer incidenceMeta-analysisNight-shift workProspective cohort study

Identifiers

PMID34775538

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.