Pilots and crew are at high risk of skin cancer

The latest research shows that pilots and crews face twice the risk of skin cancer compared to normal people, due to ultraviolet exposure when flying near the Sun.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Association of Dermatology on September 3, scientists analyzed the results of 19 studies conducted for more than 266,000 people and concluded that the pilots have a higher risk of developing melanoma that causes skin cancer to be 2.21 to 2.22 times higher than normal people. This rate in crew members is 2.09 times.

This is a consequence of pilots and crew members exposed to more ultraviolet rays that are projected through the glass panels in the cockpit and the windows on the fuselage. For example, at an altitude of 9,000m above sea level, which is the flight altitude of most commercial planes, ultraviolet rays are twice as strong as normal. This intensity is even increased when the aircraft enters thick cloudy areas, as the aircraft absorbs up to 85% of the ultraviolet rays.

Professor Martina Sanlorenzo of the University of California (USA) said this study has a great significance in determining the health risks and protecting people's health. Previously, pilots and crew were only warned about the risk of ionizing radiation.

According to statistics, there have been 76,000 cases of melanoma in the US so far this year and more than 9,000 of them have died.