Cancer incidence among female flight attendants: a meta-analysis of published data.
BACKGROUND
Flight attendants are exposed to cosmic ionizing radiation and other potential cancer risk factors, but only recently have epidemiological studies been performed to assess the risk of cancer among these workers. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the incidence of various types of cancer among female cabin attendants by combining cancer incidence estimates reported in published studies.


METHODS
All follow-up studies reporting standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for cancer among female flight attendants were obtained from online databases and analyzed. A metaanalysis was performed by applying Bayesian hierarchical models, which take into account studies that reported SIR = 0 and natural heterogeneity of study-specific SIRs.


RESULTS
A total of seven published studies reporting SIR for several cancer types were extracted. Meta-analysis showed a significant excess of melanoma (meta-SIR 2.15, 95% posterior interval [PI] 1.56-2.88) and breast carcinoma (meta-SIR 1.40; PI 1.19-1.65) and a slight but not significant excess of cancer incidence across types (meta-SIR 1.11, PI 0.98-1.25).


CONCLUSIONS
Although further studies are necessary to clarify the exact role of occupational exposure, all airlines should, as some companies do, estimate radiation dose, organize the schedules of crew members in order to reduce further exposure in highly exposed flight attendants, inform crew members about health risks, and give special protection to pregnant women.
Buja
Alessandra
A
Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy. alessandra.buja@unipd.it
Mastrangelo
Giuseppe
G
Perissinotto
Egle
E
Grigoletto
Francesco
F
Frigo
Anna Chiara
AC
Rausa
Giuseppe
G
Marin
Valeria
V
Canova
Cristina
C
Dominici
Francesca
F
D000401:Aircraft; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011839:Radiation, Ionizing; D012307:Risk Factors; D016387:Women's Health; D014931:Women, Working / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*