Melanoma: why airline pilots need to put on sunscreen

Floating among the clouds has a price. In flight, airline pilots are particularly exposed to UV rays, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology. Their chances of developing skin cancer are doubled.

Particularly powerful UV
In September, a study had already reported the abnormal presence of melanoma among pilots and flight attendants. An analysis of 266,000 people showed an association between working on an airplane and the risk of developing this rare form of skin cancer.

But the researchers had failed to understand the exact reason for this finding. In their conclusions, they simply noted that most airliners fly at 9,000 m, a height at which “UV radiation levels are approximately twice as high as on the ground.” Clouds were also singled out, since they can reflect up to 85% of UV rays back to space. The scientists had concluded that these particularly powerful UV rays passed through the window of the aircraft.

Windshields, non-protective
And they weren’t wrong. In this new study, the researchers explain this exposure a little better. “Airline pilots receive as much radiation as in a UV cabin, because the cockpit windshields do not completely block these rays,” they explain. These windshields are typically made from polycarbonate plastic or multi-layered composite glass.

To back up their claims, the study’s authors boarded a turboprop aircraft. They measured, on the tarmac and at altitude, the radiation doses received at the pilot’s seat. Back on dry land, they went to tanning salons to compare the data.

Airplane or UV lounge: same exposure
And the results speak for themselves. Flying for an hour at an altitude of 9000 meters is like spending 20 minutes in a UV cabinet. Exposure levels rise as pilots fly over layers of thick cloud or snowfields, which reflect the rays.

“We strongly recommend that airline personnel protect themselves with sunscreen before boarding,” advise the authors. Regular dermatological examinations are essential. “