The Incidence of Breast and Other Cancers Among Female Flight Attendants
Condition: Thyroid Cancer; Breast Cancer; Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer; Melanoma
MeSH terms: Thyroid Neoplasms; Skin Neoplasms
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Flight attendants may be at an increased risk of breast and other cancers due to work-place
      exposures including cosmic radiation and circadian rhythm disruption form traveling across
      multiple time zones. This cancer incidence study will determine whether female flight
      attendants are at increased risk of breast and other cancers and whether the risk is
      dose-related. The study will include a cohort of approximately 10,000 women who were employed
      as flight attendants for one or more years.

      Breast cancer cases will be identified from telephone interviews of living subjects and
      next-of-kin of deceased subjects, as well as from death certificates. The interview will also
      provide information about non-occupational risk factors for breast cancer such as parity.
      Both internal and external comparisons will be made. The primary analysis will evaluate the
      risk associated with occupational exposure within the cohort, controlling for
      non-occupational risk factors by stratification or modeling. The secondary analysis will
      compare the incidence of breast cancer in the cohort to that in the general population, with
      adjustment for factors such as lower parity which might increase breast cancer risk in the
      cohort independent of occupational exposure to cosmic radiation and circadian rhythm
      disruption. The risk of other ionizing radiation-related cancers, such as leukemia, lung
      cancer, and thyroid cancer, among flight attendants will also be evaluated. The results of
      the study will apply to female flight crew and frequent fliers.
    

Detailed description: 
      Flight attendants may be at an increased risk of breast and other cancers due to work-place
      exposures including cosmic radiation and circadian rhythm disruption from traveling across
      multiple time zones. This cancer incidence study will determine whether female flight
      attendants are at increased risk of breast and other cancers and whether the risk is
      dose-related. The study will include a cohort of approximately 9,631 women who were employed
      as flight attendants for one or more years.

      Breast cancer cases will be identified from telephone interviews of living subjects and
      next-of-kin of deceased subjects, as well as from death certificates. The interview will also
      provide information about non-occupational risk factors for breast cancer such as parity.
      Both internal and external comparisons will be made. The primary analysis will evaluate the
      risk associated with occupational exposure within the cohort, controlling for
      non-occupational risk factors by stratification or modeling. The secondary analysis will
      compare the incidence of breast cancer in the cohort to that in the general population, with
      adjustment for factors such as lower parity which might increase breast cancer risk in the
      cohort independent of occupational exposure to cosmic radiation and circadian rhythm
      disruption. The risk of other ionizing radiation-related cancers, such as leukemia, lung
      cancer, and thyroid cancer, among flight attendants will also be evaluated. The results of
      the study will apply to female flight crew and frequent fliers.
    

Observational model: Case-Only
Time perspective: Other
Sampling method: Probability Sample
Study population: 
        Female flight attendants
      
Keywords: Cancer Risk; Cosmic Radiation; Airlines; Flight Attendants; Circadian Rhythm