Dr. Dmitry Mironenko, an oncologist, stated that prolonged sleep deprivation and chronic fatigue weaken the body's immunity and increase the risk of cell mutations, which may lead to cancer.
He says: "Chronic fatigue and sleep deprivation are not cancer-causing factors. That is, they do not directly cause the growth of malignant tumors. However, long-term exposure to these two factors may cause immunodeficiency, which disrupts the body's response to malignant cells that the immune system usually destroys."
According to him, chronic fatigue causes an increase in cortisol production, which contributes to inflammation and increases the risk of cell mutations. Sleep deprivation also disrupts the body's circadian rhythm and may affect the function of tumor suppressor genes, leading to a decrease in melatonin levels, which in turn stimulates tumor growth.
He says: "It has been proven that sleeping less than six hours a night for a long period of time increases the risk of breast, prostate, and colon and rectal cancer."
The expert emphasizes that a healthy lifestyle, regular physical activity, proper nutrition, and a balance between work and rest are essential factors for cancer prevention.
