Cancer Rates Among U.S. Military Aircraft Personnel 24% Higher: New Research Raises Concerns

U.S. Air Force Personnel Involved in Military Aircraft
From Pilots to Ground Crew
Show Higher Cancer Rates

Recent research by the U.S. Department of Defense indicates that Air Force pilots and ground crew involved in aircraft operations have a higher rate of cancer than the general population. Retired U.S. military pilots who raised concerns about the high number of cancer cases among aircraft and ground crew triggered the study.

U.S. military aircrew has long requested a thorough examination of their work environment, which could potentially cause cancer, including cleaning jet engine parts with solvents, sensors, and power sources installed in the aircraft’s nose cone, and massive radar systems mounted on the deck. So, what were the study results?

Study Conducted on Approximately 900,000 Individuals
Pilots Showed 24% Higher Rates

The study, which took place over a year, involved approximately 900,000 individuals who had boarded military aircraft or participated in fuel supply and maintenance from 1992 to 2017. The results revealed that the military aircraft crew had a 24% higher rate of all types of cancer compared to the general population.

Upon closer examination, researchers found the incidence of a type of skin cancer, melanoma, to be 87% higher and the incidence of thyroid cancer 39% higher. Male crew members showed a 16% higher incidence of prostate cancer, and female crew members also showed a 16% higher incidence of breast cancer compared to the general population. Even ground crew who did not board military aircraft also had a 3% higher average cancer incidence.

Calls for Cause Identification
Pentagon: “Difficult to Find Correlation”

The research, adjusted for the age, gender, and racial variables of the subjects and compared with general U.S. statistics, prompted calls for the Pentagon to identify the cause, as it confirmed that U.S. Air Force personnel are more prone to cancer risks, according to AP and other foreign media.

Retired U.S. Air Force pilot Vince Alcazar stated, “It shows that it’s time for leaders and policymakers to shift from skepticism to proactive support.” On the other hand, the Pentagon maintains, “There are various potential factors such as family history, smoking, and drinking habits, so it’s hard to see military service as directly causing cancer.”