In 2012, HSE research concluded that occupational breast cancer was responsible for several hundred deaths a year in the Great Britain. It says estimates from its cancer burden study, on which the 2012 research report was based, show that there are around 550 deaths each year from breast cancer in women who undertake shift work, and nearly 2,000 new cases registered. The paper noted: “The estimated total attributable fraction (female only) for cancer of the breast attributable to occupation overall and associated with shift work (including flight personnel) is 4.56% (95%Confidence Interval (CI)=3.26-5.97), which equates to 555 (95%CI= 397-727) attributable deaths and 1,969 (95%CI=1,407-2,579) attributable registrations.” HSE estimates that in the UK, around 5–20 per cent of the working population now engaged in shift work that involves night work.

The burden of occupational cancer in Great Britain – Breast cancer, RR852, HSE, December 2012. HSE shiftwork and breast cancer webpage.