New Delhi, Dec 26 (NationPress) Women engaged in night shifts or those who frequently travel across time zones, leading to irregular sleep patterns, may face a heightened risk of aggressive breast cancer, as indicated by a recent study. The research team from the Texas A&M University College of Arts and Sciences elucidated that disruptions to circadian rhythms not only alter the structure of mammary glands but also compromise the immune system's ability to defend against cancer, highlighting potential strategies to mitigate these impacts.

Dr. Tapasree Roy Sarkar, Co-Director of the Center for Statistical Bioinformatics at Texas A&M, noted, "Cancer operates on a schedule. When your internal clock is out of sync, cancer can exploit this weakness -- but we've discovered a novel approach to counter it."

Circadian rhythms – the body's internal 24-hour clock – perform multiple functions beyond regulating sleep. They play crucial roles in hormone secretion, tissue repair, and monitoring immune responses.

When these rhythms are disrupted, the body's innate defenses begin to weaken.

"The circadian rhythm governs how our tissues behave and how our immune system identifies threats," Sarkar emphasized. "Disruptions to this rhythm can have perilous consequences."

The researchers studied two groups of genetically modified models prone to aggressive breast cancer. One group adhered to a standard day-night cycle, while the other experienced a disrupted light schedule that unsettled their internal clocks.

Results published in the journal Oncogene revealed that normal models typically exhibit cancer around the 22-week mark; however, the circadian-disrupted group showed early signs of cancer by approximately 18 weeks.

The tumors in the models with circadian disruptions were notably more aggressive and had a higher propensity to metastasize to the lungs, which is a critical indicator of adverse outcomes in breast cancer patients.

Furthermore, the disruption of the internal clock dampened immune defenses, fostering an environment conducive to cancer proliferation.

"It wasn't merely that the tumors expanded faster," Sarkar explained. "The immune system was actively suppressed, creating more favorable conditions for cancer cells to thrive and disseminate."

Additionally, the long-term disruption of circadian rhythms altered the composition of healthy breast tissue, rendering it more susceptible to cancer.

"We noted significant changes in the structure of the mammary glands, specifically in the milk-producing tissue of the breast," Sarkar remarked.