Capitol Hill deliberates on increased cancer instances among Aviators and Missileers
Military Aviation and Cancer: A Growing Concern
New studies and legislative actions are shedding light on a potential link between military aviation and an elevated risk of cancer among aircrew members.
The Aviators Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act, recently passed by Congressional lawmakers, aims to address this concern. The ACES Act directs the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to analyse data from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pentagon to better understand the incidence and fatality rates of cancer among active-duty aviation personnel. The Act covers pilots, navigators, weapons system operators, aircraft system operators, and other crew members who regularly fly in fixed-wing aircraft.
The ACES Act is awaiting President Donald Trump's signature. If signed into law, the findings of the study are due 18 months after the bill becomes law. The Air Force expects to complete a study this year on whether the nuclear missile community is at higher risk of contracting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 13 other cancers.
The British military is also investigating the link between cancer and four military aircraft: the Sea King, the Wessex, the Puma, and the Chinook. Reports suggest that at least 180 current and former British military aircrews are considering legal action due to military service-connected cancer.
Another study, the Rotary-wing Operator Toxic Occupational Research (ROTOR) Act, is under consideration in the House. The ROTOR Act directs the Pentagon's Defense Health Agency, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Cancer Institute to determine whether aviators who work with helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft are diagnosed with a higher rate of cancers than the general population. The ROTOR Act covers all rotary-wing pilots and aviation support staff who served in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force after Feb. 28, 1961.
Detailed epidemiological research has found that certain military occupations, including pilots and aircraft maintenance crew, exhibit elevated odds of testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). For example, the risk of TGCT among USAF servicemen in aircraft maintenance roles was significantly increased compared to others, with some histology-specific differences.
Expected outcomes of these expanded studies and legislative efforts include clarification of the incidence and fatality rates of cancer among different military aviation occupational groups, improved protocols to mitigate exposure to carcinogens during military service, easier validation of service connection for cancer diagnoses, enhanced occupational health surveillance and safety measures for both aircrew and missile personnel, and potential independent scientific reviews to ensure transparency and comprehensive risk assessments.
Representative August Pfluger, a co-sponsor of the bill and an Air Force Reserve colonel, shepherded the legislation through Congress in honor of his friend Andy Shurtleff, a retired colonel who died of cancer.
As these studies and legislative actions continue, it is clear that there is a need for continued research, preventive action, and policy measures aimed at protecting the health of military aviators and missileers exposed to unique occupational hazards.
[1] Military Times
[2] CNN
[3] Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
[4] The Hill
- The Pentagon, along with the Department of Veterans Affairs, is under scrutiny to provide data for a study aimed at understanding the cancer risk among aircrew members, as part of the Aviators Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act.
- The ACES Act, awaiting President Donald Trump's signature, covers multiple airforce roles, including pilots, navigators, weapons system operators, aircraft system operators, and other crew members who frequently fly in fixed-wing aircraft.
- The Air Force expects to complete a study this year on cancer risks among nuclear missile community members, while the British military is investigating four aircraft for a potential cancer link.
- The Rotary-wing Operator Toxic Occupational Research (ROTOR) Act, under consideration in the House, focuses on determining higher cancer rates among aviators who work with helicopters and tiltrotor aircraft.
- Epidemiological research has revealed elevated odds of testicular germ cell tumors in military occupations, such as pilots and aircraft maintenance crew.
- The findings of these studies and legislative efforts are expected to provide clarification on cancer incidence and fatality rates, offer improved mitigation strategies, simplify service connection validation, improve occupational health measures, and enable independent scientific reviews.
- Representative August Pfluger, a co-sponsor of the ACES Act, is advancing the legislation in honor of his friend, a retired colonel who died of cancer.
- To stay updated on these significant advancements, military aficionados can consult sources such as Military Times, CNN, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and The Hill.
