Study: Flight Attendants at Increased Risk for Cancer

A study published in Environmental Health found higher rates of cancers in flight attendants compared with the general population.  

The researchers surveyed participants in the Harvard Flight Attendant Health Study from 2014 to 2015, using age-weighted standardized prevalence ratios to compare the prevalence of self-reported cancer diagnoses in 5,366 flight attendants versus a cohort of 2,729 individuals from the general population from the 2013 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  

Flight attendants have higher rates of numerous cancers, research shows https://t.co/Wqy2O9fybq pic.twitter.com/R6ZEz3Rzhs

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) June 26, 2018

Compared with the general population, flight attendants had a higher prevalence of every cancer examined, especially breast and skin cancer among women. 

Job tenure was positively related to non-melanoma skin cancer among women, with borderline associations for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers among men. In addition, the researchers reported associations between job tenure and breast cancer among women who had three or more children. 

Flight attendants have higher rates of many cancers, study says https://t.co/yPp3Auvzgj

— TIME (@TIME) June 26, 2018

The researchers advised flight attendants be monitored for radiation exposure and have their schedules arranged to minimize exposure to radiation and disruption to circadian rhythms. 

Source: Environmental Health