14 DAY TRIAL // According to a team of researchers writing in the journal Nature Communications, evidence at hand indicates that cancer tumors not only grow faster but also spread more easily at night.
Thus, experiments carried out in laboratory conditions indicate that, during daytime, cancer is somewhat kept in check by a hormone dubbed glucocorticoid.
This steroid hormone serves to keep energy levels under control all throughout the day. Researchers say that, the more stress an individual experiences, the more glucocorticoid floods their body.
Scientists with the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel go on to explain that, as shown by previous investigations, the spread of cancer depends on an epidermal growth factor that encourages the development and migration of cells.
What's interesting is that, at least in laboratory mice, high levels of the steroid hormone glucocorticoid go hand in hand with reduced activity of the growth factor encouraging the spread of cancer, EurekAlert informs.
However, when the animals are resting and their glucocorticoid levels drop as a result of the fact that they are no longer experiencing stress, the growth factor gets to work facilitating the spread of cancer.
To test their theory that cancer tumors evolve differently during certain times of the day, the scientists behind this research project took the time to administer several laboratory mice a drug dubbed Lapatinib.
Apparently, the rodents that received this drug during times when their body was not packing all that much of the steroid hormone glucocorticoid were the ones that experienced a noteworthy improvement in their condition.
In light of these findings, the Weizmann Institute of Science specialists recommend that doctors looking to treat cancer tumors in human patients consider administering various drugs and treatments depending on the body's natural day-night cycle.
“It seems to be an issue of timing. Cancer treatments are often administered in the daytime, just when the patient's body is suppressing the spread of the cancer on its own.”
“What we propose is not a new treatment, but rather a new treatment schedule for some of the current drugs,” Prof. Yosef Yarden said in a statement.