Study Finds Flight Attendants and Pilots Face Highest Cancer Mortality Linked to Radiation Exposure

A large American study published in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals that among over 500 professions analyzed, flight attendants and pilots have the highest mortality rates from cancers associated with radiation exposure. Researchers examined data from more than 12 million U.S. death certificates, focusing on cancers linked to ionizing radiation such as leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and tumors of the skin, breast, thyroid, prostate, and central nervous system.

The study found that flight attendants have approximately a 50% higher risk of dying from radiation-related cancers compared to the general working population, while pilots have a 36% higher risk. This elevated risk is attributed to prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation at high altitudes, where the Earth's protective atmosphere is thinner. Flight crews receive the highest average annual effective dose of ionizing radiation among U.S. occupational groups due to their extended time spent flying at altitudes around 10 kilometers.

Importantly, the researchers noted no increased mortality from cancers unrelated to radiation among pilots and flight attendants, strengthening the link between occupational cosmic radiation exposure and cancer risk rather than lifestyle factors. Previous studies have also indicated that flight crews have roughly double the incidence of melanoma compared to the general population.

However, the study is observational and based on death certificate data, lacking detailed information on individual flight hours, routes, altitudes, or cumulative radiation doses. Other factors such as disrupted circadian rhythms from night flights and time zone changes may also contribute to cancer risk. The findings do not suggest health risks for occasional travelers but highlight the need for greater attention to radiation exposure among professional aircrew.

Currently, U.S. federal authorities recognize cosmic radiation exposure for flight crews but do not impose limits or require routine personal monitoring. The study calls for more serious consideration of cumulative radiation doses in this occupational group given the significant association with cancer mortality.

Summary: A major U.S. study finds flight attendants and pilots have the highest cancer mortality rates linked to cosmic radiation exposure, underscoring occupational health concerns for aircrew spending extensive time at high altitudes.

Points: - Flight attendants have a 50% higher risk of radiation-related cancer death than the general workforce. - Pilots face a 36% increased risk of dying from cancers linked to cosmic radiation. - Study analyzed over 12 million U.S. death certificates across 500+ professions. - No increased mortality found for non-radiation-related cancers among flight crews. - Findings highlight occupational cosmic radiation exposure as a likely cause, not lifestyle. - Current U.S. regulations do not limit or require monitoring of flight crew radiation exposure.

Topic: health israel_relevant: false entities: {"people": ["Ido Wolf", "Katherine Olsen", "Ken Kripidis"], "organizations": ["JAMA Internal Medicine"], "places": ["United States"]}