Hard facts for people working in the air, on board planes. A recent study published in the medical journal Environmental Health reveals that they are more at risk of being affected by cancer than the rest of the population. Stewards, air hostesses, pilots... Unfortunately, no crew member is spared.
To reach this conclusion, the researchers first compared the cancer rate between 4,011 people who were part of a sailing crew and 5,713 other people who did not work in this profession, with data dating from 2007. They noticed a higher rate of cancer among flight attendants and flight attendants. They therefore decided to renew the study protocol, first in 2014, then in 2015 using an online questionnaire. Results ? 15% of those surveyed have been diagnosed with cancer and it is those of the breast, uterus, gastrointestinal and thyroid that most often affect flight personnel than the rest of the population.
According to the scientists, this higher carcinogenic tendency in people working on airplanes could be explained by the fact that they are more exposed to radiation, not to mention the permanent lack of sleep because of their frequent travels. Their circadian rhythm (biological clock) suffers and is often disturbed, which unfortunately increases the risk of cancer. Ouch…
