Flight Crews Face Highest Cancer Risk

Flight crews, including pilots and flight attendants, face the greatest risk of mortality from radiation-related cancers, according to a recent analysis of over 500 occupations. This elevated risk is primarily attributed to their exposure to cosmic radiation at high altitudes, which averages between 3 to 6 millisieverts annually for US aircrew.

The study, which examined nearly 13 million death certificates from 2020 to 2024, found statistically significant higher death rates from breast, central nervous system, and prostate cancers, as well as melanoma, among pilots and flight attendants. Pilots also exhibited a higher leukaemia death rate.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School highlighted that nearly seven percent of deaths among aircrew were from radiation-linked cancers, a proportion higher than any other analyzed profession. They advocate for occupational radiation protections tailored to the exposure levels experienced by aircrew members.