Co-author of the study Nicola Aceto said the research makes it clear that “tumours wake up when patients are sleeping”; this forms a part of wider research into how the body’s circadian rhythms affect cancer.
Aceto added this was a “step forward” in understanding cancer metastasis, the act of cancer spreading from one part of the body to another.
While this research may not necessarily help patients of today, Aceto said it could help patients of tomorrow, describing these steps as “a good thing for patients in the long-term”.
Surprise at the results was reflected by other academics such as cancer biologist Chi Van Ding who described the revelation as “striking”.
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What this means for breast cancer patients, as of yet, is unclear.
The University of Manchester’s Qing-Jun Meng said this doesn’t mean lots of sleep will result in a deterioration of cancer patients.
Meng added this didn’t mean “you don’t need sleep, or that you need less sleep [rather] it simply means these cells prefer a specific phase of the 24-hour cycle to go into the bloodstream”.
As a result, further research is required on other cancers to see whether the same effect is seen.
Symptoms of breast cancer include:
- A new lump or area of thickened tissue in either breast that was not there before
- A change in the zie or shape of one or both breasts
- A discharge of fluid from either of your nipples
- A lump or swelling in either of your armpits
- A change in the look or feel of your skin, such as puckering or dimpling, a rash or redness
- A rash around the nipple
- A change in the appearance of the nipple.
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Such was her impact that in the aftermath of her death #checkyourpoo was trending on Twitter.
The reason for this was because the substance and timing of someone’s poo can be an indicator of the disease.
Blood in poo, causing it to become the colour of tar, or a change in poo habit can be signs of bowel cancer.
Other signs of bowel cancer are:
• Bleeding from the bottom
• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
• A pain or lump in the tummy.
While bowel cancer is rarely the reason for these symptoms, the NHS says people should see their GP if someone has experienced any of the symptoms for more than three weeks.
They added: “Make sure you see a GP if your symptoms persist or keep coming back after stopping treatment, regardless of their severity or your age.”
Although bowel cancer mainly affects older people, there has been cases of young people being told they have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) but are then diagnosed with late-stage bowel cancer months or years later.
As with all cancers, the message is to get checked just in case; it is far better to find out it is harmless rather than wait and to find out something could have been done earlier.
