The aircraft crew has a higher risk of developing certain types of cancer

According to research from Harvard University, the aircrew has a higher risk than the average population of developing certain types of cancer . The results surprised the researchers themselves, because of the healthy life that people who work in the air usually wear.

Previous studies have already indicated that hostesses were more likely to have breast cancer. like melanoma. This new work, published in the journal Environmental Health, observes the same trend, although it detects a higher prevalence of other types of cancer examined : non-melanoma, uterine, gastrointestinal, cervical and thyroid.

Of 5366 cabin crew members participating in the study, just over 15% reported being diagnosed with cancer . In the case of women for example, 3.4% had breast cancer (the average population was 2.3%). In men an increased risk of skin cancer was found: 1.2 and 3.2% for melanoma and non-melanoma, respectively, when common people have numbers of 0, 69 and 2, 9%

For other types of illness, air workers have a 0.15% chance of having uterine cancer (0.13% for the general population); 1% suffering from cervical cancer (0.70% of the population); 0.47% having stomach or colon cancer (compared with 0.27%); and 0.67% chance of thyroid cancer (0.56%).

Another interesting fact is that the risk of breast cancer was higher in women so much that they did not have children as in those with three or more . As a general rule, the more children you have, the less likely you are to suffer.

"Women of three or more children probably do not sleep too much." If they are combined with work, especially at the international level, this may be an indicator this disruption of the circadian rhythm has an impact ", testifies Irina Mordukhovich, one of the authors of the research

The book does not present concrete answers to the increase in figures, even if it provides some assumptions [19659010] based on previous research

On the one hand, aircrew members are usually exposed more frequently than the population to possible carcinogens such as pesticides, fire extinguishers or fuels.In addition, they may be exposed to higher levels of cosmic ionizing radiation, which the WHO considers to be a risk factor for developing cancer.

Mordukhovich has ind that motivation to analyze air workers is that in the field which may imply gaps in policies to protect them.

Regarding frequent passengers the scientist said that there is not a vast investigation about this, although the logic They are exposed to similar things .