Pilots and skin cancer

[Doug Taylor]

Having lunch with "El Capitan" this afternoon in Syracuse, I had a realization.

He's the fourth captain in a row that I've flown with that has encountered melanoma (skin cancer). The first two captains had average skin tone, the first captain yesterday had pale, Scandinavian-style skin and my current captain has quite a bit of melanin and probably comes from a mediterranian background.

It started out with a small "dot" that his brother-in-law noticed and it resulted in having to tear out a large portion of his nose and massive reconstructive surgery.

"This is just my doctor's rough approximation of what my nose should have looked like" was what he said over a slice of pizza.

A few months ago, I was flying with yet ANOTHER captain with skin cancer that forwarded this email to me about a study done at AA:

[ QUOTE ]
Fellow pilots,

The company recently sent out an HI6 and posted information on
AApilots.com concerning in-flight radiation. These postings are
welcome, but lacked some practical user information. I hope the
following will help you make informed decisions during preflight
planning.

The AApilots.com letter states, "Increases in solar activity can
increase in-flight radiation temporarily to levels many times
higher than usual, thus significantly increasing the radiation
dose received on a given flight." How will you know when an
event is taking place? No one will tell you. You will never
know unless you visit the following web site prior to every trip:

www.sec.noaa.gov/SWN/

On the web site, you can disregard most of the info, but look
under NOAA Scales Activity at "Solar Radiation storms." Storm
activity will be rated from S1 (minor) to S5 (extreme).

If it is not practical to visit the web site, call the Solar
Hotline at (303) 497-3235. You may disregard the initial
scientific jargon, but listen for the key words "solar radiation
storms" and the following "S" level designation. The vast
majority of the time you will hear the welcome phrase, "No space
weather storms were reported in the last 24 hours, no space
weather storms are expected in the next 24 hours."

S1 and S2 events can be disregarded. If there is an S3 event, I
will not fly above FL310. For S4 and S5 events, I will not go
above FL250.(Dispatch understands and will help you plan
accordingly.) For crews flying Atlantic and Pacific routes, an
S5 event may give you the equivalent of 100 chest x-rays PER LEG
at normal cruse altitudes. For domestic and southern
international routes, it will be something less than that, but
still significant.

A lack of solar storm awareness may increase the incidence of
skin and fatal cancer for your crew and passengers. For the
pregnant, an S5 event may cause an increased risk of miscarriage,
birth defects, or childhood cancer. Some among us might say the
risk is minimal. What if a doctor showed up for work and said,
"I think I will give myself and patients 100 chest x-rays today,
including the pregnant!" It is safe to say that the hospital
would fire him immediately, and criminal charges would follow.

Did anyone tell you that an EXTREME S5 event occurred November
7-10 2004, and an S3 event took place in December? When I looked
up at all the contrails during a Nov 7 trip to Montreal, I knew
we had to get the word out. Please check the web site and
program your cell phone with the hotline number. Thank you for
your time.

Fraternally,

Capt. Jim Cagle MIA/737/D

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess this is a good time to think about protecting your skin when you're flying.

There's A LOT of pilots with skin cancer, some know it, but a many probably don't.

[whaleroast]

My worst nightmare realized will be some guy showing up for his first lesson in this:
http://www.firsttvdrama.com/enterprise/images/suit.jpg

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Should individuals of darker skin color be also worried about skin cancer. Or are we more protected then our lighter skinned brothers and sisters in the cockpit?

-Matthew

[Lee D]

Are we talking major increases in UVA/B rays or something more "interesting" like gamma radiation with these storms? It sounds like the latter, in which case the increased risk for many other types of cancer would be an also be an issue.

Anything I studied about the sun in Astronomy back in school has been long forgotten.

[Texguy]

I was glad to see this post as I had been wondering about this topic. If that email is accurate, I guess the solution is to stay below FL310 on S3 days, FL250 on S4/S5 days, and wear a high SPF sunscreen. Does anyone know of pilots who wear sunscreen every day they fly, or is that overkill?

[Alchemy]

Interesting, my dad had to have a malignancy removed from his nose a few years ago so there's a history of skin cancer in my family. I'm pretty fair skinned myself, and my right arm has been getting noticeably darker than my left since I started flying the RJ. Wearing sun screen everyday would be a hassle though....I hate the way that stuff smells.

[whaleroast]

[ QUOTE ]
Interesting, my dad had to have a malignancy removed from his nose a few years ago so there's a history of skin cancer in my family. I'm pretty fair skinned myself, and my right arm has been getting noticeably darker than my left since I started flying the RJ. Wearing sun screen everyday would be a hassle though....I hate the way that stuff smells.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I might hate the way hair smells when it seared off in radiation treatment. I'd rather wear sunscreen.

[rhs]

I've only got 300+ hours but am fair skinned and had to have a basal cell carcinoma (non-malignant) cancer taken off my face last year. It delayed my next medical for about 3 months. I'm sure that's scary enough for you pros.

They make non-smelly sunscreens. Just look in the 'metrosexual' part of the health & beauty aids aisle at your drug store.

[Alchemy]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd rather wear sunscreen.

[/ QUOTE ]

You wear sunscreen every time you get in the cockpit?

[cime_sp]

I put sunscreen on every day. After a few minutes you don't even notice the smell anymore.

[daniel10]

I'm not sure but I think this article is referring to a different kind of radiation than UV.

UV radiation is much higher at altitude (passes only through windows) because of the thinner atmosphere. Pilots sitting near windows (wouldn't they?) are very exposed to UV and therefore the high rate of skin cancer. Sunscreen can help, and maybe better designed windows that block UV will help.

Radiation from solar storms is a different thing, more like X-rays which pass through everything (windows and metal) and don't care much for sunscreen (perhaps a lead suit...). When a solar storm occurs flying at lower altitude reduces the amount of radiation absorbed.

I think both UV and solar storms are a problem, and I would put on sunscreen when I start flying (2 more weeks...) as skin cancer cases on the nose are probably from UV and not solar storms, but the only real solution for solar storms is flying at lower altitude and I don't see that happening.

[Kristie]

I would think that solar storms would actually increase the potential and/or effects of UV in the atmosphere!

[daniel10]

I don't know if solar storms increase UV or not, however I have seen a program on TV that said every time you fly it is like getting two X-rays (because of the radiation) and so during a solar storm it is lake getting 100 X-rays. The program said that because of the higher radiation pilots are at much higher risk of cancer (all sorts, not just skin).

[SIUav8er]

Why dont they make the windows on A/C UV proof?

[Icelandair]

Maybe its good then that the Q200 can't go above FL250 since we dont have oxygen drop down masks. Might help protect me as well.

[Nick]

Thanks for posting this, Doug. I am going to pass that captain's letter along to a bunch of people and read up on this topic myself a bit more.

[Ralgha]

Everything I've ever seen says that windows block UV light.

Regardless this article isn't talking about UV, it's talking about other types of radiation.

[Callous]

Thanks for the info.

Callous.

[FLY_CRJ]

Chances are most of the windows are lexan on anything that can fly high enough to worry about increased UV. Lexan by nature filters out 94% - 98% of UV rays.