Although pilots and cabin crewmembers have a lower risk of dying from cancer than the general public, studies show their incidence of melanoma — the most serious form of skin cancer — is significantly higher, as is their risk of dying of the disease, according to numerous studies in recent years.1
The reasons are not clear, according to a 2015 report in JAMA Dermatology, an American Medical Association journal, but they may include their on-the-job exposure to higher levels of (UV) radiation. In addition, some studies say that disruptions in the body’s circadian rhythm — the internal biological clock that regulates bodily functions — may have a role.
“UV radiation is a known risk factor for melanoma, and the cumulative exposure of pilots and cabin crew, compared with the general population, has not been assessed,” said the report, by a team of researchers based in the United States, Italy and Austria.
The report noted that at…
