The highest risk of cancer – which profession is under threat

Harvard researchers have found that flight crew members—pilots and flight attendants—have the highest risk of dying from cancer among all professions. The cause is attributed to exposure to cosmic radiation at high altitudes. Radiation-related cancers accounted for 6.9% of deaths among flight attendants and 6.7% among pilots. Scientists recommend early screening for aviation workers.

Scientists from Harvard have concluded that working on board aircraft is associated with an increased risk of death from cancer. Analyzing over 500 occupations in the United States, researchers found that flight crew members—pilots and flight attendants—have the highest mortality rate from cancer potentially caused by cosmic radiation. The key factor identified is cosmic radiation, to which the crew is exposed at high altitudes. The study examined data from nearly 13 million death certificates from 2020-2024, including information on 14,000 pilots and 7,000 flight attendants. Radiation-related cancers (breast cancer, leukemia, lymphomas, central nervous system tumors, melanoma, thyroid and prostate cancers) accounted for 6.9% of deaths among flight attendants and 6.7% among pilots. According to the CDC, aviation workers receive between 3 and 6 millisieverts of cosmic radiation annually, which is 8-15 times higher than the dose received by a passenger. The authors emphasize that the findings pertain to professional groups as a whole, and the study was observational, revealing only a statistical association, not a causal relationship.