Does sleep apnea increase the risk of cancer?
Does sleep apnea increase the risk of cancer?
Bothell Lynnwood Bellevue Redmond sleep dentist
Sleep apnea is very common, and many people with this condition aren’t even aware that they have it. People with sleep apnea stop breathing during the night, sometimes many times every hour. Each pause in breathing disturbs their sleep, even if they aren’t aware of it.
The lack of sleep can greatly impact a person’s quality of life, with many people feeling tired and having trouble concentrating as a result of their condition. In addition, people with sleep apnea have a higher risk for many serious health conditions.
Does sleep apnea increase the risk of cancer?
Research indicates that sleep apnea significantly increases the risk of cancer. Different studies have had different findings as to how large this increase in risk is. Some studies have found that cancer risk increases by about 50% in people with sleep apnea, but some studies have found that the risk is 2 to 3 times greater in people with sleep apnea than in the general population.
Sleep apnea impacts the risk of many different types of cancer. Increases in risk have been found for breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, kidney cancer, and melanoma (a type of skin cancer).
How does sleep apnea increase the risk of cancer?
Researchers aren’t yet certain exactly how sleep apnea and cancer are tied to each other. There are a few different theories for how they may be connected. One is that sleep apnea causes a severe disruption to a patient’s sleep. The body needs deep sleep to heal and repair tissues, and the lack of sufficient high-quality sleep results in damage to tissues. This could allow cancer cells to develop and grow.
The lack of sleep also impacts the function of the immune system. A healthy immune system can destroy cancer cells when they form. When the immune system is impaired by a lack of sleep, cancer cells are more likely to evade the immune system, get established, and develop into a tumor.
Another possibility is that the link occurs through hypoxia, which is the drop in oxygen levels that occurs when someone stops breathing. When the body senses a lack of oxygen, it starts to develop new blood vessels, to try and carry more oxygen into the tissues. Tumors need new blood vessels to develop and grow. Because hypoxia causes the growth of new blood vessels, this may help cancer cells to get established and to grow into a dangerous tumor.
Bothell Lynnwood Bellevue Redmond sleep dentist
Many people who have sleep apnea are not even aware that they have it. If you think that you might have sleep apnea, the first step is to get an evaluation, through a laboratory or home sleep study. There are treatments available that can help to keep your airway open, so that your oxygen levels don’t drop at night and healthy sleep is restored. These include a CPAP (a machine that blows air into your face all night through a mask), or a simple oral device that helps to hold your airway open.
Dr. Mulliken is a certified sleep dentist, and an expert in oral device therapy for sleep apnea. He can also offer home sleep studies to find out whether you have sleep apnea. To schedule an appointment, please contact our office.