Incidence of cancer among commercial airline pilots
- Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-und Umweltmedizin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Ziemssenstrasse 1; D-80336 Munich, Germany
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie
- Chirurgische Klinik, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Innenstadt, Munich, Germany
- Katja.Radon{at}arbeits.med.uni-muenchen.de
- Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-und Umweltmedizin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Ziemssenstrasse 1; D-80336 Munich, Germany
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie
- Chirurgische Klinik, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Innenstadt, Munich, Germany
- Katja.Radon{at}arbeits.med.uni-muenchen.de
- Institut und Poliklinik für Arbeits-und Umweltmedizin, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Ziemssenstrasse 1; D-80336 Munich, Germany
- Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie
- Chirurgische Klinik, Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Innenstadt, Munich, Germany
- Katja.Radon{at}arbeits.med.uni-muenchen.de
Rafnsson et al 1 reported an excess in malignant melanoma especially among commercial airline pilots flying over five time zones. The authors hypothesised that a disturbance of the circadian rhythm might be responsible for this increased risk and suggest that circadian rhythm should be taken into consideration in future studies. The authors are well aware of the problems of their study that included only limited numbers of malignant melanoma (n = 5).
We recently performed a cross sectional case-control study on possible risks of nightshift work on the development of malignant melanoma among women in South Germany.
In this interview survey we included 137 cases with histologically diagnosed malignant melanoma from outpatients at the Department of Dermatology and Allergy at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany. Also, 137 female outpatients and inpatients of the Department of Surgery at the same university without previous diagnosis of cancer were interviewed.
Besides ever working in nightshifts* and factors related to shiftwork (sleep during night shifts*, lightning at the workplace …
Dr V Rafnsson
Dr V Rafnsson
Dr V Rafnsson
