Night shift work and risk of melanoma: a prospective cohort study among 59,384 female nurses in the Netherlands

Linske de Bruijn; Henriëtte M van Duijne; Roel C H Vermeulen; Jelle J Vlaanderen; Hans Kromhout; Katarzyna Jóźwiak; Flora E van Leeuwen; Nina E Berentzen; Michael Schaapveld

doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-25-0301

Night shift work and risk of melanoma: a prospective cohort study among 59,384 female nurses in the Netherlands

Linske de Bruijn, Henriëtte M van Duijne, Roel C H Vermeulen, Jelle J Vlaanderen, Hans Kromhout, Katarzyna Jóźwiak, Flora E van Leeuwen, Nina E Berentzen, Michael Schaapveld

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Night shift work may be a risk factor for melanoma, potentially due to suppressed melatonin and decreased vitamin D levels. We examine the potential association between night shift work and melanoma risk using detailed, lifetime information on night shift work in a large cohort of Dutch nurses.

METHODS: We used questionnaire data from the Nightingale Study obtained from 59,384 (former) female nurses aged 19-65 (median: 48.7 years; interquartile range: 39.6-55.3). Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for melanoma risk in relation to various lifetime night shift work exposure variables were estimated.

RESULTS: During 10 years of follow-up, 307 women developed melanoma. Melanoma risk did not differ between women who worked night shifts and those who never worked night shifts (age-adjusted HR=0.98; 95%CI=0.73-1.30). No statistically significantly increased risks were found for a longer night shift work duration, a higher cumulative number of nights worked, a higher number of consecutive nights worked per month, or a shorter time since quitting night shift work.

CONCLUSION: We found no association between night shift work exposure and melanoma risk.

IMPACT: This study should reassure nurses that working night shifts is not associated with an increased risk of melanoma.

Original language	English
Journal	Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-25-0301
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 23 Jun 2025

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de Bruijn, L., van Duijne, H. M., Vermeulen, R. C. H., Vlaanderen, J. J., Kromhout, H., Jóźwiak, K., van Leeuwen, F. E., Berentzen, N. E., & Schaapveld, M. (2025). Night shift work and risk of melanoma: a prospective cohort study among 59,384 female nurses in the Netherlands. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-25-0301

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title = "Night shift work and risk of melanoma: a prospective cohort study among 59,384 female nurses in the Netherlands",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Night shift work may be a risk factor for melanoma, potentially due to suppressed melatonin and decreased vitamin D levels. We examine the potential association between night shift work and melanoma risk using detailed, lifetime information on night shift work in a large cohort of Dutch nurses.METHODS: We used questionnaire data from the Nightingale Study obtained from 59,384 (former) female nurses aged 19-65 (median: 48.7 years; interquartile range: 39.6-55.3). Hazard ratios (HR) and 95\% confidence intervals (95\%CI) for melanoma risk in relation to various lifetime night shift work exposure variables were estimated.RESULTS: During 10 years of follow-up, 307 women developed melanoma. Melanoma risk did not differ between women who worked night shifts and those who never worked night shifts (age-adjusted HR=0.98; 95\%CI=0.73-1.30). No statistically significantly increased risks were found for a longer night shift work duration, a higher cumulative number of nights worked, a higher number of consecutive nights worked per month, or a shorter time since quitting night shift work.CONCLUSION: We found no association between night shift work exposure and melanoma risk.IMPACT: This study should reassure nurses that working night shifts is not associated with an increased risk of melanoma.",

author = "\{de Bruijn\}, Linske and \{van Duijne\}, \{Henri{\"e}tte M\} and Vermeulen, \{Roel C H\} and Vlaanderen, \{Jelle J\} and Hans Kromhout and Katarzyna J{\'o}{\'z}wiak and \{van Leeuwen\}, \{Flora E\} and Berentzen, \{Nina E\} and Michael Schaapveld",

year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-25-0301",

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journal = "Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention",

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publisher = "American Association for Cancer Research Inc.",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Night shift work and risk of melanoma

T2 - a prospective cohort study among 59,384 female nurses in the Netherlands

AU - de Bruijn, Linske

AU - van Duijne, Henriëtte M

AU - Vermeulen, Roel C H

AU - Vlaanderen, Jelle J

AU - Kromhout, Hans

AU - Jóźwiak, Katarzyna

AU - van Leeuwen, Flora E

AU - Berentzen, Nina E

AU - Schaapveld, Michael

PY - 2025/6/23

Y1 - 2025/6/23

N2 - BACKGROUND: Night shift work may be a risk factor for melanoma, potentially due to suppressed melatonin and decreased vitamin D levels. We examine the potential association between night shift work and melanoma risk using detailed, lifetime information on night shift work in a large cohort of Dutch nurses.METHODS: We used questionnaire data from the Nightingale Study obtained from 59,384 (former) female nurses aged 19-65 (median: 48.7 years; interquartile range: 39.6-55.3). Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for melanoma risk in relation to various lifetime night shift work exposure variables were estimated.RESULTS: During 10 years of follow-up, 307 women developed melanoma. Melanoma risk did not differ between women who worked night shifts and those who never worked night shifts (age-adjusted HR=0.98; 95%CI=0.73-1.30). No statistically significantly increased risks were found for a longer night shift work duration, a higher cumulative number of nights worked, a higher number of consecutive nights worked per month, or a shorter time since quitting night shift work.CONCLUSION: We found no association between night shift work exposure and melanoma risk.IMPACT: This study should reassure nurses that working night shifts is not associated with an increased risk of melanoma.

AB - BACKGROUND: Night shift work may be a risk factor for melanoma, potentially due to suppressed melatonin and decreased vitamin D levels. We examine the potential association between night shift work and melanoma risk using detailed, lifetime information on night shift work in a large cohort of Dutch nurses.METHODS: We used questionnaire data from the Nightingale Study obtained from 59,384 (former) female nurses aged 19-65 (median: 48.7 years; interquartile range: 39.6-55.3). Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for melanoma risk in relation to various lifetime night shift work exposure variables were estimated.RESULTS: During 10 years of follow-up, 307 women developed melanoma. Melanoma risk did not differ between women who worked night shifts and those who never worked night shifts (age-adjusted HR=0.98; 95%CI=0.73-1.30). No statistically significantly increased risks were found for a longer night shift work duration, a higher cumulative number of nights worked, a higher number of consecutive nights worked per month, or a shorter time since quitting night shift work.CONCLUSION: We found no association between night shift work exposure and melanoma risk.IMPACT: This study should reassure nurses that working night shifts is not associated with an increased risk of melanoma.

U2 - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-25-0301

DO - 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-25-0301

M3 - Article

C2 - 40548857

SN - 1055-9965

JO - Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention

JF - Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention

ER -

Night shift work and risk of melanoma: a prospective cohort study among 59,384 female nurses in the Netherlands

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