Una aproximación a la relación entre el sueño y el cáncer

Introduction: Sleep plays a restorative role in the body, both in humans and other animals, so its quality may have a bidirectional relationship with cancer. Sleep and circadian cycle disturbances can influence the development and progression of cancer, while these neoplasms can also contribute to these disorders.
Objectives: To describe the bidirectional relationship between sleep and cancer through a narrative review.
Methods: We reviewed 181 articles published over the last decade in four scientific databases.
Results: Sleep disturbances (e.g., deprivation due to shift work) are associated with the development and progression of cancer. At the same time, the biological mechanisms of these neoplasms (e.g., inflammatory processes), cancer treatment (specifically chemotherapy), and some psychological conditions, such as distress, precipitate sleep disorders.
Conclusions: There is evidence of a bidirectional relationship between cancer and sleep. Promoting healthy sleep habits can contribute both to preventing the development and progression of cancer and to improving the perception of quality of life among patients with malignant neoplasms.