Flight Crews Have A Higher Risk Of Dying From Radiation-Related Cancers: What Does It Really Mean?

A study published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine found that among 503 US occupations, flight attendants had the highest proportion of deaths from radiation-related cancers and pilots the second-highest rate. This was ahead even of workers who handle radioactive materials directly, so it is quite shocking, and the evidence seems clear. Past studies have been limited in that they cannot determine directly whether exposure increases the risk of cancer mortality.