Estimating the Cosmic Radiation Dose for a Cabin Crew With Flight Timetables

Kojo, Katja; Helminen, Mika; Leuthold, G.; Aspholm, Rafael; Auvinen, Anssi

doi:10.1097/jom.0b013e31805818ef

Cited by 12 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The potential for confounding is greatest for a condition such as breast cancer, where signifi cant non-occupational factors exist, and the effect of any employment-attributable risk is small. For example, in a nested case-control study in Finnish fl ight attendants ( 58 ), the majority of the excess breast cancer risk was linked to a positive family history of breast cancer. Of the known personal risk factors for breast cancer, some are intuitively absent (obesity and inactivity), potentially protective (menstrual irregularities), or are paradoxically related to breast cancer risk ( 94 ).…”

Section: Cancermentioning

confidence: 99%

The Occupational Health and Safety of Flight Attendants

Griffiths¹,

Powell²

2012

aviat space environ med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In order to perform safety-critical roles in emergency situations, flight attendants should meet minimum health standards and not be impaired by factors such as fatigue. In addition, the unique occupational and environmental characteristics of flight attendant employment may have consequential occupational health and safety implications, including radiation exposure, cancer, mental ill-health, musculoskeletal injury, reproductive disorders, and symptoms from cabin air contamination. The respective roles of governments and employers in managing these are controversial. A structured literature review was undertaken to identify key themes for promoting a future agenda for flight attendant health and safety. Recommendations include breast cancer health promotion, implementation of Fatigue Risk Management Systems, standardization of data collection on radiation exposure and health outcomes, and more coordinated approaches to occupational health and safety risk management. Research is ongoing into cabin air contamination incidents, cancer, and fatigue as health and safety concerns. Concerns are raised that statutory medical certification for flight attendants will not benefit either flight safety or occupational health.

show abstract

Section: Cancermentioning

confidence: 99%

The Occupational Health and Safety of Flight Attendants

Griffiths¹,

Powell²

2012

aviat space environ med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…With the help of former Finnair pilots and the route map for the years 1984-1995, the charter hours were assigned to typical charter destinations situated in the Mediterranean area and the rest of the Europe. 17 The number of cabin crew on board was estimated based on expert consultations and literature. 18 The number depends mainly on the aircraft type, but also on route and time period.…”

Section: Assessment Of Cosmic Radiation Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

Cancer incidence among Nordic airline cabin crew

Pukkala

Helminen

Haldorsen

et al. 2012

Intl Journal of Cancer

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Airline cabin crew are occupationally exposed to cosmic radiation and jet lag with potential disruption of circadian rhythms. This study assesses the influence of work-related factors in cancer incidence of cabin crew members. A cohort of 8,507 female and 1,559 male airline cabin attendants from Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden was followed for cancer incidence for a mean follow-up time of 23.6 years through the national cancer registries. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were defined as ratios of observed and expected numbers of cases. A case-control study nested in the cohort (excluding Norway) was conducted to assess the relation between the estimated cumulative cosmic radiation dose and cumulative number of flights crossing six time zones (indicator of circadian disruption) and cancer risk. Analysis of breast cancer was adjusted for parity and age at first live birth. Among female cabin crew, a significantly increased incidence was observed for breast cancer [SIR 1.50, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.32-1.69], leukemia (1.89, 95% CI 1.03-3.17) and skin melanoma (1.85, 95% CI 1.41-2.38). Among men, significant excesses in skin melanoma (3.00, 95% CI 1.78-4.74), nonmelanoma skin cancer (2.47, 95% CI 1.18-4.53), Kaposi sarcoma (86.0, 95% CI 41.2-158) and alcohol-related cancers (combined SIR 3.12, 95% CI 1.95-4.72) were found. This large study with complete follow-up and comprehensive cancer incidence data shows an increased incidence of several cancers, but according to the case-control analysis, excesses appear not to be related to the cosmic radiation or circadian disruptions from crossing multiple time zones.Airline cabin crew are occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation with doses 2-6 mSv per year. 1 This is roughly twice the average annual dose from natural and medical sources received by the general population. Cosmic radiation in the common cruising altitudes (8,000-10,000 m) consists mainly of gamma and neutron radiation, with some heavy nuclei. In 1990, the International Commission on Radiological Protection recommended that in-flight radiation exposure to jet aircrew should be regarded as occupational exposure. 2 Of the radiation-related cancers, only breast cancer has shown increased incidence rates among airline personnel consistently in several studies. Out of the seven cohort studies of cabin crew, 3-9 all but one 6 indicate an increased incidence of breast cancer. However, the excess risks seem to be higher than can be explained by the low radiation doses received, 10 and several other factors may contribute to the observed excess.Cabin crew also work in shifts including work at night and are exposed to jet lags (a temporary condition after air travel across several time zones) dependent on time, distance and direction (east-west vs. north-south) of flight routes. Such exposures may contribute to circadian disruption, including suppression of the chronobiotic neurohormone melatonin, which has anticancer properties. [11][12][13] There is accumulated epidemiologic and biologic eviden...

show abstract

“…In particular, flight attendants exhibit an increased risk of breast and acute myeloid leukemia cancers [1] as they are exposed to long-term doses of low-frequency electromagnetic fields [2-4]. It is well established that doses of low energy radiation can induce double stranded DNA breaks that result in altered gene expression profiles in mammalian cells, which are transmitted to later generations of progeny cells [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neoplastic transformation of breast epithelial cells by genotoxic stress

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundExposure to genotoxic stresses such as radiation and tobacco smoke can cause increased cancer incidence rate as reflected in an in depth meta-analysis of data for women and breast cancer incidence. Published reports have indicated that exposures to low dose radiation and tobacco smoke are factors that contribute to the development of breast cancer. However, there is a scarcity of information on the combinatorial effects of low dose radiation and tobacco smoke on formation and progression of breast cancer. The combination of these two genotoxic insults can induce significant damage to the genetic material of the cells resulting in neoplastic transformation.MethodsTo study the effects of low dose ionizing radiation and tobacco smoke on breast cells, MCF 10A cells were treated either with radiation (Rad - 0.1 Gray) or cigarette smoke condensate (Csc - 10 microgram/ml of medium) or a combination of Rad + Csc. Following treatments, cells were analyzed for cell cycle distribution patterns and the ability to extrude the Hoechst 33342 dye. In addition, in vitro invasion and migration as well as mammosphere formation assays were performed. Finally, differential gene expression profiles were generated from the individual and combination treatment.ResultsExposure of MCF 10A cells to the combination of radiation plus cigarette smoke condensate generated a neoplastic phenotype. The transformed phenotype promoted increased mammosphere numbers, altered cell cycle phases with a doubling of the population in S phase, and increased invasion and motility. Also, exclusion of Hoechst 33342 dye, a surrogate marker for increased ABC transporters, was observed, which indicates a possible increase in drug resistance. In addition, changes in gene expression include the up regulation of genes encoding proteins involved in metabolic pathways and inflammation.ConclusionsThe results indicate that when normal breast cells are exposed to low dose radiation in combination with cigarette smoke condensate a phenotype is generated that exhibits traits indicative of neoplastic transformation. More importantly, this is the first study to provide a new insight into a possible etiology for breast cancer formation in individuals exposed to low dose radiation and tobacco smoke.

show abstract

Estimating the Cosmic Radiation Dose for a Cabin Crew With Flight Timetables

Cited by 12 publications

References 10 publications

The Occupational Health and Safety of Flight Attendants

The Occupational Health and Safety of Flight Attendants

Cancer incidence among Nordic airline cabin crew

Neoplastic transformation of breast epithelial cells by genotoxic stress

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About