Military aviation crew cancer study shows elevated risk correlations
Researchers have identified a higher incidence of certain cancers among military pilots, aircrew, and ground personnel involved in refueling and aircraft maintenance. The findings come from a comprehensive analysis conducted with data drawn from a large service population and are reported by Associated Press—offering a snapshot of potential health patterns rather than a verdict on risk alone.
The research team examined cancer incidence among nearly 900,000 service members who served between 1992 and 2017, comparing their outcomes with national benchmarks for the broader U.S. population. This long span allowed investigators to observe trends across multiple cancer types and occupational groups within the military aviation community.
Overall, aircrew showed a higher cancer burden compared with the general population, with about a 24% increase in cancer occurrence across all cancer types. Ground crew also displayed a noticeable, though smaller, elevation of approximately 3%. These differences highlight areas where further inquiry is warranted to understand potential contributing factors and protective measures.
Specific cancer types demonstrated more pronounced associations. For example, aircraft crew members were approximately 87% more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma and 39% more likely to develop thyroid cancer than the U.S. population overall. Among male aircrew, a higher incidence of prostate cancer was observed, at roughly 16% above expected rates. Breast cancer showed a similar pattern, with incidence elevated by about 16% among crew and by 7% among ground crew women.
In terms of brain and other cancers, ground personnel faced roughly a 19% higher chance of brain cancer. Interestingly, both ground and air crews appeared to have lower occurrences of lung cancer, and flight crew members showed decreased rates of bladder and colon cancers in this analysis, suggesting a nuanced pattern of cancer risks across different aviation roles.
Researchers cautioned that the actual number of cases could be underestimated due to gaps in data. They emphasized that the study demonstrates associations, not causation, and that additional research is needed to determine whether occupational exposures, lifestyle factors, or other variables contribute to these observed patterns. The goal is to better understand potential risks and inform future health monitoring and preventive strategies for military personnel.