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In Moselle, a former nurse chaining night shifts during her career has just succeeded in having her breast cancer recognized as an occupational disease. A first that could well set a precedent.
A victory after long years of fighting. According to information from Parisian published this Monday, March 27, a former nurse at the Sarreguemines hospital in Moselle, had her breast cancer recognized as an occupational disease last January. A first in France, which is based on the working conditions of the 61-year-old woman who wishes to remain anonymous.
873 nights worked, a disrupted circadian rhythm
To achieve this first, the legal journey of the sexagenarian, diagnosed in 2009, was long and tedious. After treatment with partial mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy, it was thus necessary to prove that the 873 nights worked between 1982 and 2009 as well as the shift work are at the origin of the illness of the former nurse.
The CFDT-Minors of Lorraine, which supported the sexagenarian, relied on several works:
- Those of INSERM (National Institute of Health and Medical Research), which advances “the hypothesis that night work increases the risk of cancer in women before menopause, particularly in those with a high frequency and a long exposure time”
- Those of the INRS (National Institute for Research and Safety) which considers that “exposure to shift work is associated with a statistically significant increase in breast cancer”.
- But also those of the Circ, (International Agency for Research against Cancer) which proves that shift work induces the disruption of circadian rhythms.
For Brigitte Clément, regional secretary of the CFDT Minor, the addition of these factors disturbs the biological clock and reduces the defenses. Night work in particular prevents the development of melatonin, which helps fight cancer.
“It can be said that there is a direct and essential link between the breast cancer of which she suffered and the work carried out before,” clearly states the report mentioned by the Ile-de-France daily.
A first recognition that could set a precedent
If the decision is important for the sexagenarian who has been struggling for years to have her suffering recognized, it is also important for all professions with difficult conditions, especially at night. In fact, the union, which is well aware that this decision could set a precedent, is now calling for the inclusion of breast cancer in the register of occupational diseases.
“She has the feeling that all these steps during which we have supported her have made it possible to support the cause of employees and women in particular. And, in a way, the fight against cancer”, confides Brigitte Clément, regional secretary of the CFDT-Mineurs, who helped her in her efforts (Le Parisien)
For the nurse’s lawyer, Me Macouillard, quoted by Le Parisien, it is also an important step: “With this judgment, it is all personal damages that must be compensated by the administration, even in the absence of fault on the part of the latter, in the event of an accident or illness attributable to the service”.
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