Incidence of Cancer Among Female Flight Attendants: A Meta‐Analysis

Tokumaru, Osamu; Haruki, Kosuke; Bacal, Kira; Katagiri, Tomomi; Yamamoto, Taisuke; Sakurai, Yoshinori

doi:10.1111/j.1708-8305.2006.00029.x

Cited by 58 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…These findings were confirmed in a recent meta-analysis that included both military and civilian pilots (25). Among female flight attendants, seven studies found elevated risks of breast cancer, and six studies reported a higher than expected malignant melanoma risk (20,26). Airline personnel, however, differ from other shift workers both with respect to their occupational exposures to cosmic radiation (21) and their greater opportunity for recreational solar exposure.…”

Section: Schwartzbaum Et Alsupporting

confidence: 62%

Cohort study of cancer risk among male and female shift workers

Schwartzbaum¹,

Ahlbom²,

Feychting³

2007

Scand J Work Environ Health

151

153

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Objectives Melatonin, a hormone that inhibits experimentally induced cancers, is suppressed by nighttime exposure to light so that nighttime shift workers may be at an increased risk of cancer. Previous studies of shift workers found an increased risk of breast cancer among women and suggested a possible increased risk of colon cancer among women and prostate cancer. The present study was conducted to see whether these previous findings could be confirmed and whether shift workers are at elevated risk for cancer at additional sites.Methods Altogether 2 102 126 male and 1 148 661 female workers were identified who worked in both 1960 and 1970. Their jobs were classified according to the percentage of shift workers, and they were followed from 1971 through 1989 or until they were diagnosed with cancer or died. Standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were used to compare the adjusted cancer incidence rates for shift workers with those for nonshift workers.Results Cancer rates were not elevated for the male shift workers [all sites combined: N=6524 cases among shift workers, SIR 1.02, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.00-1.05; prostate: N=1319, SIR 1.04, 95% CI 0.99-1.10] or for the female shift workers (all sites combined: N=268, SIR 1.00, 95% CI 0.89-1.13; breast: N=70 cases, SIR 0.94, 95% CI 0.74-1.18).Conclusions No evidence was found for an association between shift work and breast or prostate cancer, or all cancer sites combined among shift workers.

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Section: Schwartzbaum Et Alsupporting

confidence: 62%

Cohort study of cancer risk among male and female shift workers

Schwartzbaum¹,

Ahlbom²,

Feychting³

2007

Scand J Work Environ Health

151

153

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Bayesian hierarchal models were applied to the results of 7 published studies after standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were estimated. Likewise similar results were portrayed by Tokomaru et al [25]. From this said study, it was concluded additionally that UV radiation was an unlikely occupational risk for breast carcinoma.…”

Section: Breast Cancersupporting

confidence: 77%

Malignancies Associated with Radiation in Aerospace Personnel-A Review of Evidence and Studies

Lachmansingh¹

2016

Arch Med

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It is no secret in the realm of Aerospace Medicine that radiation is considered to be a hazard to the health and safety of personnel such as astronauts, pilots, aircrew members, flight attendants and so on and so forth. The forms of radiation to which such individuals are constantly exposed to include extra-vehicular radiation e.g. UV and cosmic radiation and radiation emitted from onboard apparatuses, fuel etc. Now, it is thought that the former (i.e. extra-vehicular radiation) poses more health risks to humans upon exposure in comparison to the latter. These risks include the development of malignancies, teratogenicity, mutagenicity and non-cancerous tissue damage e.g. cataracts. It is essential to appreciate the fact that the inhabitants of earth who do not engage in frequent air/space travel are protected to a certain extent from the above mentioned deleterious effects. Such protection is primarily received by means of the earth's magnetic field and the atmosphere. Individuals who fly at high altitudes e.g. commercial pilots and aircrew members are less protected, especially if flight routes are high latitude (i.e. further away from the equator). Their counterparts in space (astronauts) however are not subject to this protection at all during occupation, and thus are potentially exposed to greater magnitudes of extravehicular ionising radiation.

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“…In both of these cohorts the highest relative risks appeared to be among women who were younger at the time of initial exposure. A meta-analysis of breast cancer incidence among female flight attendants suggested a significant increase in risk due to occupational exposure to cosmic radiation (Tokumaru et al, 2006). Rafnsson et al (2001) also found an increased breast cancer risk among 1690 flight attendants with 26 breast cancers (SIR ¼ 1.5, 95% CI: 1.0; 2.4) at the mean annual radiation dose of about 3 mSv.…”

Section: Breast Cancer Incidence In the Techa River Cohort E Ostroumomentioning

confidence: 90%

Breast cancer incidence following low-dose rate environmental exposure: Techa River Cohort, 1956–2004

et al. 2008

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In the 1950s, the Mayak nuclear weapons facility in Russia discharged liquid radioactive wastes into the Techa River causing exposure of riverside residents to protracted low-to-moderate doses of radiation. Almost 10 000 women received estimated doses to the stomach of up to 0.47 Gray (Gy) (mean dose ¼ 0.04 Gy) from external g-exposure and 137 Cs incorporation. We have been following this population for cancer incidence and mortality and as in the general Russian population, we found a significant temporal trend of breast cancer incidence. A significant linear radiation dose -response relationship was observed (P ¼ 0.01) with an estimated excess relative risk per Gray (ERR/Gy) of 5.00 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.80, 12.76). We estimated that approximately 12% of the 109 observed cases could be attributed to radiation.

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Incidence of Cancer Among Female Flight Attendants: A Meta‐Analysis

Cited by 58 publications

References 26 publications

Cohort study of cancer risk among male and female shift workers

Cohort study of cancer risk among male and female shift workers

Malignancies Associated with Radiation in Aerospace Personnel-A Review of Evidence and Studies

Breast cancer incidence following low-dose rate environmental exposure: Techa River Cohort, 1956–2004

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