Mortality among a cohort of U.S. commercial airline cockpit crew.
BACKGROUND
We evaluated mortality among 5,964 former U.S. commercial cockpit crew (pilots and flight engineers). The outcomes of a priori interest were non-chronic lymphocytic leukemia, central nervous system (CNS) cancer (including brain), and malignant melanoma.


METHODS
Vital status was ascertained through 2008. Life table and Cox regression analyses were conducted. Cumulative exposure to cosmic radiation was estimated from work history data.


RESULTS
Compared to the U.S. general population, mortality from all causes, all cancer, and cardiovascular diseases was decreased, but mortality from aircraft accidents was highly elevated. Mortality was elevated for malignant melanoma but not for non-chronic lymphocytic leukemia. CNS cancer mortality increased with an increase in cumulative radiation dose.


CONCLUSIONS
Cockpit crew had a low all-cause, all-cancer, and cardiovascular disease mortality but elevated aircraft accident mortality. Further studies are needed to clarify the risk of CNS and other radiation-associated cancers in relation to cosmic radiation and other workplace exposures.
Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Lee C
LC
Yong
Lynne E
LE
Pinkerton
James H
JH
Yiin
Jeri L
JL
Anderson
James A
JA
Deddens
D000060:Accidents, Aviation / Q000401:mortality; D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D000368:Aged; D001359:Aviation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003359:Cosmic Radiation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000401:mortality*; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
cancer; cockpit crew; cohort study; cosmic radiation; mortality; occupation; pilots