Study links fighter pilot service to higher rates of certain cancers

A study published in August in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine looked at US Air Force officers who served between 1970 and 2004. It tracked how often ten cancer types occurred and the associated mortality through 2018, comparing fighter pilots with other Air Force officers and with the general US population.

Against other officers, male fighter pilots had an elevated risk of testicular cancer, cutaneous melanoma and prostate cancer. Cancer mortality showed no substantial differences in that comparison. Against the general US population, melanoma, prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma appeared more often among male fighter pilots, and mortality was also higher for those three cancers.

The US military described the statistical correlations as relatively small. It noted that other factors not captured in the study could play a part, including UV radiation, which is a risk factor for skin cancer. The causes of prostate cancer are likewise varied.

Whether cosmic or ionizing radiation at high altitude is responsible remains an open question. Researchers cautioned against drawing premature conclusions from the findings.