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AIRLINE pilots and cabin crew are at increased risk of melanoma skin cancer, probably due to the sunlight streaming through aircraft windows.
Martina Sanlorenzo at the University of California, San Francisco, compiled data from 19 studies examining aircrews鈥� risk of developing skin cancer. Both pilots and cabin crew had twice the risk of the general public.
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A found that aircrew are no more likely to take sunny holidays, sunbathe too much or use sunbeds. This leaves exposure in the air as the likely cause. Typical plane windows admit only tiny amounts of UVB sunlight, but some admit (JAMA Dermatology, ).
This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淚ntense rays raise aircrew cancer risk鈥�