Flight crews face higher radiation cancer risks than radiology professionals

Flight crews face a higher risk of radiation-linked cancers than professionals in nuclear medicine or radiology, according to an analysis published in JAMA Internal Medicine. While overall cancer rates for aviation personnel do not exceed the general professional median, there is a significant increase in specific malignancies associated with ionizing radiation. Radiation Sources at High Altitude The primary hazard for pilots and flight attendants is cosmic radiation. On Earth's surface, the atmosphere acts as a shield, absorbing high-energy particles from space. As an aircraft climbs, this protection thins. The intensity of exposure also varies by geography: radiation levels are higher near the poles than at the equator. Unlike patients receiving occasional diagnostic imaging, flight crews are exposed to ionizing radiation chronically throughout their careers.