Cancer risk may be higher for people with one particular type of job
“The risk increase is meaningful enough for the group,” Jena said. “Our study doesn’t speak to the individual pilot or flight attendant, but more so to the two groups as a whole.”
Each year, airline workers receive about 3 to 6 millisieverts of cosmic radiation, compared to 0.4 millisieverts for someone who takes 10 round-trip cross-country flights, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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That means airline workers may receive roughly eight to 15 times the annual cosmic radiation exposure of someone taking 10 cross-country round trips.
“It is thought that this would be a cumulative risk, so the more time that you’re exposed to that cosmic radiation, the greater the increase in risk that you might experience,” Jena pointed out.
The findings could raise questions about whether U.S. pilots and flight attendants should receive additional or earlier cancer screenings. (iStock)
The findings could also raise questions about whether U.S. pilots and flight attendants should receive additional or earlier cancer screenings.
“I think the level of screening may need to be higher,” Jena said, noting that approaches differ between the U.S. and other countries.
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“Just making sure that these individuals are screened regularly, that they may be screened earlier in life than other folks — I think that’s totally on the table.”
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For people who fly frequently for business or pleasure, Jena said the findings should be less concerning, noting that very few passengers accumulate flight time comparable to pilots and flight attendants.
He added, “This is really sort of a consideration for people who spend their life in the air.”
The researchers did not have access to data on individual workers’ radiation exposure, which means they could not determine whether those with greater exposure faced greater risks. (iStock)
The study has several limitations. Because it was observational, the findings cannot establish that cosmic radiation caused the elevated cancer mortality among pilots and flight attendants, only that the two were associated.
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The researchers also did not have access to data on individual workers’ radiation exposure, which means they could not determine whether those with greater exposure faced greater risks.
Other occupational or lifestyle factors could also potentially contribute to the findings.
Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/cancer-risk-higher-people-particular-type-job