Working as a flight attendant may increase the risk of developing cancer

In a large observational study involving more than 5 000 flight attendants, American experts have clearly demonstrated that flight professionals are at increased risk of developing cancer.

This large observational study was conducted in 5 000 participants who were followed-up in terms of
cancer development for 10 years on average. The data collected from this cohort was compared to
the data derived from the general population.

Analysis of the study data, recently published online, has clearly shown that working as a flight
attendant significantly increases the risk of developing cancer. The association between working as a
flight attendant and cancer development was more marked in women than in men.

Among female flight attendants, breast cancer occurred in 3.4%, whereas the figure was only 2.3% in
the general population. Likewise, among female flight attendants, the risk of uterine cancer, cervical
cancer, and gastrointestinal cancer was significantly increased. In an attempt to explain this
increased cancer risk, the experts have put forward the hypothesis that several factors work together
to disrupt the circadian rhythm, such as sleep deprivation and irregular working schedules.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5865289/