Harvard study links higher cancer risk to airline flight crews due to cosmic radiation exposure
- By Zaeem Basir -
- Aug 22, 2026
Flight attendants and pilots bear the highest chance of dying of radiation related cancer out of over 500 examined careers in the U.S. As per a landmark Harvard University study.
Published in JAMA Internal Medicine the study examined about 13 million U.S death certificates from 2020-2024 through the National Vital Statistics System. 14,000 pilots and 7,000 flight attendants’ deaths were on this list.
The cause is the occupational exposure and a prolonged presence near ionizing cosmic radiation found in deep space and the sun which penetrates the atmosphere:
Exposure Amounts: Annual cosmic radiation exposure for airline crewmembers are in the range of 3 to 6 mSv or more.
Passenger Dose: By comparison a passenger taking 10 cross-country round trips over the course of a year would take in 0.4 mSv-meaning flight crewmembers are receiving between 8 to 15 times more radiation yearly than what an average passenger does, from our atmosphere.
Cumulative Dose: According to lead researcher Anupam B. Jena, M.D., Ph.D., the risk will accumulate the more time a pilot or flight attendant is employed.
Types of Cancers & Causes of Death to note
The researchers focused mortality rates across specific radiation associated cancers, thoughlung cancer was not included in the study to normalize the influence of smoking.
Flight Attendant: Radiation associated cancer deaths 6.9% of total deaths. Statistically higher than background rate in terms of melanoma, CNS, prostate, and breast cancer.
Pilot: Radiation associated cancer deaths 6.7% of total deaths. Elevated rates in terms of CNS, leukemia, melanoma, breast and prostate cancer.
Cosmic radiation levels relative to the profession
Cosmic radiation levels change greatly depending on how high an aircraft flies and how long it is at that altitude. Airline crew members obtain roughly 3 to 6 mSv of cosmic radiation and an airline passenger taking 10 cross-country flights annually receives 0.4 mSv of cosmic radiation so airline crews obtain between 8 to 15 times the radiation amount than average airplane passengers annually.