Professional Pilots and Melanoma, Skin Cancer.
Just recently, a colleague shared an article about a wife who lost her husband who had been an airline pilot for decades. What was striking about the story was that he passed away due to a disease that is not prevalent in the general public but leaves professional pilots at much higher risks. This disease is Melanoma, Skin Cancer. In this week’s On Aviation™, We would like to share this heartfelt story as well as some research papers on the subject.
This disease is one that many professional pilots are aware of, especially those working in the airlines, however, it is not clear if it is being taken seriously enough.
Airline Pilots at Double Risk of Melanoma, Skin Cancer
According to the research published by the US NLM, airline pilots and cabin staff had nearly twice the risk of Melanoma and other skin cancers as the general population, with pilots having a higher risk of dying from Melanoma.
By Airways
Predictors of skin cancer in commercial airline pilots
Skin cancers among commercial airline pilots have been reported to occur at increased rates in pilot populations worldwide. The reasons for these increases are unclear, but postulated factors include ionizing radiation, circadian disruption and leisure sun exposure.
By Joyce S Nicholas, Christopher J Swearingen, Jeffrey B Kilmer
The Risk of Melanoma in Airline Pilots and Cabin Crew:A Meta-analysis
Airline pilots and cabin crew are occupationally exposed to higher levels of cosmic and UV radiation than the general population, but their risk of developing melanoma is not yet established.
By Martina Sanlorenzo, MD1,2; Mackenzie R. Wehner, MPhil1,3; Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH1; et al
Are airplane pilots at a higher risk for cancer?
As you can imagine, there are a number of occupational hazards associated with flying an airplane: crashes being an obvious one. Pilots can feel emotional stress if they are away from their families for an extended period of time. Or perhaps, their sleep schedules are mixed up after traveling between time zones. A less apparent hazard for pilots and their crew is an increased risk of cancer.
By Rebecca Israel and Charles Li, MD
Thank you for reading this week’s digest. Please take the liberty of sharing your thoughts in the comments below.
Orlando – On Aviation™
