Last year a report in The Lancet found higher rates of certain cancers among jet pilots and crew members. Now, the authors of that study report that this increased cancer risk is due to chromosome damage caused by excessive exposure to ionizing radiation from the sun.

The form of cancer found to be most increased among the flight crews is acute myeloid leukemia, which is very often fatal, with an average survival time of 3 to 4 years following diagnosis. Even in patients who experience complete remission, recurrence is common.

The disease develops rapidly, with symptoms including:

• Anemia

Immature leukemia cells continue to divide in the bone marrow, which leads to rapid death if left untreated. It affects granulocytes and monocytes, white blood cells that destroy bacteria and some parasites.

In the current report, researchers note that they found damage to chromosome 7 in 4 out of seven (57%) aircrew members with the cancer, in comparison with only 81 of 761 cases (11%) of the cancer among non-flight crew members.

The researchers conclude that "Our results indicate that deletions or loss of the long arm of chromosome 7 in myelodysplasia and acute myeloid leukemia could be an indicator of previous exposure to ionizing radiation."

This is not the first time that radiation exposure has been linked to leukemia. People in Japan, exposed to the nuclear bomb radiation have been found to have higher rates as well.

The Lancet, December 23, 2000; 356

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Flying frequently can be hazardous to your health. This is especially true for those who do it for a living, of course. However, many of us fly frequently on business and are also exposed to this risk, although at a much lower level. Hopefully, modern technological advances such as the internet and teleconferencing can reduce the need for some of these business trips. If you fly frequently, it would be wise to consider some type of neutralization. Total Body Modification is a system of muscle testing that has a set of vials that one can wear that energetically neutralizes this radiation. If you are a patient in our office you can contact our office for a set of these inexpensive vials. If you are not you can contact TBM 801-571-2411 for a practitioner in your area who might be able to provide them for you. This study also illustrates the potential dangers of ionizing radiation from other sources as well, such as x-rays. These should also be kept to a minimum as they may cause subtle chromosome damage in the same manner. Related Articles: Higher Cancer Risk On Planes Miscarriage Rates Excessive Among Working Flight Attendants