Aviation crews face highest risk of radiation-linked cancer deaths

A major study published in JAMA Internal Medicine has found that flight attendants and pilots face the highest risk of dying from radiation-linked cancers among more than 500 occupations. Researchers from Harvard Medical School analyzed approximately 13 million death certificates from the National Vital Statistics System between 2020 and 2024 to reach these conclusions.

The study identified that flight attendants had the highest percentage of deaths from radiation-related cancers at 6.9 percent, followed by pilots at 6.7 percent. This risk is attributed to exposure to cosmic ionizing radiation at high altitudes, where the Earth's atmosphere provides less shielding. The findings suggest flight attendants have roughly 50 percent higher odds of dying from these cancers compared to the general working population, while pilots face 36 percent higher odds.

Specific cancers linked to this exposure include breast, prostate, and skin cancers (such as melanoma), as well as leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and central nervous system tumors. Notably, the researchers observed that these professionals did not show higher-than-normal death rates for cancers not associated with radiation, which supports the hypothesis that occupational cosmic radiation exposure is the primary driver rather than lifestyle or socioeconomic factors. The study noted that the risk for aircrews even exceeds that of nuclear technologists who work directly with radioactive materials.