Occupational exposures to flight attendants include chemicals, noise, cosmic radiation and electric and magnetic fields. Flight attendants have expressed concern about these exposures and their potential risk of breast and other cancers. Methods: To evaluate the risk of cancer among flight attendants, membership files from a union representing over 6000 California flight attendants were matched to California's statewide cancer registry to identify cancer diagnoses between 1988-1995. Results: During this time a total of 175 newly diagnosed cancers occurred among members with California residential histories: 149 among women and 26 among men. The two most common invasive cancer types in this group, female breast cancer (59 observed, 43.47 expected, Standardized Incidence Ratio [SIR]=1.36 (95% C.I. 1.03-1.75) and malignant melanoma of the skin (11 observed, 6.16 expected, SIR=1.79, 95% CI 0.89-3.21), occurred substantially more frequently among flight attendants than would be expected from the general population. The breast cancer increase was higher among international flight attendants (31 observed, 19.17 expected, SIR 1.62, 95% CI 1.10-2.30). Discussion: The observed elevations are not likely to be due to screening, as cohort members did not present at earlier stages of disease compared to the general population. Both of these cancers are associated with higher socioeconomic status and have been associated with various sources of radiation. Consistent with the results from a much smaller European study of cabin crews, these data suggest that further research is needed on the potential relative contribution of workplace exposures and lifestyle to the higher rates of these two cancers.
Learning Objectives: To understand the risk of cancer among flight attendants and potential risk factors.
Keywords: Cancer, Occupational Disease
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