Flight attendants more prone to suffer from cancer, says a new study

Flight attendants seem to be more at risk to suffer from it. This was deduced by a study published in the journal Environmental Health that had measured the rate of the condition among US airline-cabin crews.

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There are several reasons that contribute to it. (Source: Varinder Chawla)

The dread of cancer needs no retelling, but if a new study is to be believed, then flight attendants seem to be more at risk to suffer from it. This was deduced by a study published in the journal Environmental Health that had measured the rate of the condition among US airline-cabin crews. Flight attendants are more like to suffer from breast, cervical, cervical, gastrointestinal, uterine, and thyroid cancer.

According to a report in Quartz, that quoted a Harvard study, there are multiple reasons that contribute to such a fatal result. The scientists took into consideration data of more than 5,300 US-based flight attendants who had filled and submitted online survey between December 2014 and June 2015. It was part of the larger “Harvard Flight Attendant Health Study.”

It was then compared to a survey that was filled by approximately 2,700 Americans who had worked in other sectors but had a similar level of education and income. And some differences clearly stood out. Notwithstanding the sound health of flight attendants and a healthy diet followed by them, they still seemed more prone to suffering from the condition than others.

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The study also revealed that among female flight attendants, the risk of suffering from breast cancer was 50 per cent higher than other women in different jobs. It, however, did not stop there. Melanoma rates were just over 200 per cent higher and non-melanoma skin cancer rates were about 300 per cent higher. Among male flight attendants, 50 per cent were more prone to suffer from melanoma. It also said 10 per cent were more vulnerable to suffer from non-melanoma skin cancer.

It is believed that the cosmic radiations and the ultra-violet rays that flight attendants are subjected to probably pose such health risks. At the higher altitudes, the radiation does not go through much atmospheric filtering and affects more severely. Some have also attributed jet lag as a possible reason.

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