This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Risk of melanoma doubled in airline pilots, cabin crew

Airline pilots and cabin crew have approximately twice the incidence of melanoma compared with the general population, according to study findings.

Researchers included a total of 19 studies with more than 266,431 participants in a retrospective review to determine the melanoma risk among those in the airline industry. Using primary random-effect meta-analyses, the researchers summarized standardized incidence and standardized mortality ratios for all flight-based professions.

Among participants of any flight-based occupation, the overall standardized incidence ratio was 2.21. Pilots’ summary standardized incidence ratio was 2.22, whereas the summary standardized incidence ratio was 2.09 for cabin crew, according to the researchers.

Overall standardized mortality ratio of participants in any flight-based occupation was 1.42. The summary standardized mortality ratio for pilots was 1.83 and for cabin crew was 0.90.

The results indicated an approximate 42% increase in melanoma mortality when compared to the general population, according to the researchers.

Airplane windshield material could have an impact on these statistics, as UVA transmission varied significantly on this basis, according to the researchers; whereas plastic materials blocked almost all UVA radiation, 54% of UVA rays were able to penetrate glass materials.

“The windshields and cabin windows of airplanes seem to minimally block UVA radiation, and it is known that for every additional 900 m of altitude above sea level, there is a 15% increase in the intensity of UV radiation,” the researchers wrote.

Furthermore, most commercial aircraft fly at 9,000 m, where the UV level is twice that of the ground. These levels increase even more when flying over snow or cloudy conditions, which can reflect UV radiation, causing an even greater potential risk.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.