HBR Daily Stat: Melanoma Incidence Is Much Higher for Flight Crews

Sigh... another reason to minimize flying:

Airline pilots’ and cabin crews’ incidence of the dangerous skin cancer melanoma is about twice that of the general population, and their death rate from the disease is 42% higher, according to a New York Times report of a scholarly analysis of 19 studies. The reason is unclear, but the researchers point out that exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet A radiation, a melanoma risk factor, is twice as great at 30,000 feet as at ground level, and airplane windows provide only minimal protection. The researchers suggest that crews wear sunscreen when they’re aloft.

Read more in HBR.