Pilots Bring it On Themselves, Researcher Says

Contrary to results of some of the smaller studies that have been run in recent years, New Scientist magazine reported this week that a European study of frequent fliers did not indicate any greater risk of cancer than the general population.

The study enlisted 44,000 airline employees, from eight countries. The only group with a higher incidence of cancer than the general population were the front-seaters; but one of the researchers said that was a lifestyle thing: "Pilots go on vacation more often than other people and they get free flights. There's anecdotal evidence that they're in the sun more than other people," said Maria Blettner, of the University of Bielefeld in Germany.

Ms. Blettner did not mention that pilots sit in the sunlight much of the time, while cabin crew (and PAX) are in the shadow of the big tube, aft. The concerns that bothered researchers most, though, revolved around with cosmic rays, which are not blocked by the aircraft's body -- but which are dissipated to a great degree by atmosphere. Since there's a lot more atmosphere on the ground than at 35,000 feet, some reasoned, cosmic ray exposure should be less-damaging at lower altitudes. That's assuming that cosmic rays do cause cancer.

The New Scientist also noted, "Indeed, a separate study of 28,000 pilots, to be published by the same team in the International Journal of Cancer, found there were one third fewer deaths from cancer in pilots." Riddle me that...

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