The glamour of the
profession
apart, airline crew
face a heightened
risk of cancer.
Researchers of the
Finnish Cancer
Registry conducted
a study of the
extent to which
airline
staff were exposed
to cosmic radiation and the
consequent risk of
cancer harboured by
them (British
Medical journal, Vol
311, No 7006).
All employees, it
was found, are
exposed to cosmic
radiation. Female
airline workers show
a particularly
high incidence of
breast and bone
cancer. A 1.9 fold
increase in the risk
of breast cancer and
a 15 - fold higher risk of bone
cancer, compared
with the national
average, was estimated. Among male
crew members,
pilots risked
cancers of the brain
and rectum.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.