SCARY

Military Pilots Stricken With Higher Rates of Cancer, Pentagon Study Finds

The study found that air crew members had a whopping 87 percent higher chance of melanoma, and ground crews saw higher rates than average as well.

Military pilots have higher-than-average cancer rates, a new Pentagon study found, validating years of concerns raised by retired pilots. Air crew members were found to have an 87 percent higher rate of melanoma and a 39 percent higher rate of thyroid cancer, as well as raised prostate cancer and breast cancer rates, averaging to a whopping 24 percent above average. Ground crews also had raised rates, albeit more muted, coming in at 3 percent above average, the study of about 900,000 service members found. Retired aviators have long lobbied for the Pentagon and Congress to step in, and the study itself is a by-product of a 2021 defense bill passed by Congress. The Pentagon did note that the study “does not imply that military service in air crew or ground crew occupations causes cancer” outright. Nevertheless, many feel hopeful the new study will spur action into reducing cancer rates among personnel.