Cosmic radiation link in flight attendant's breast cancer, French court finds

A French court has, for the first time, acknowledged cosmic radiation as a contributing factor to the breast cancer of a long-serving flight attendant. Sophie Lainault, a 59-year-old former stewardess on Air France, sought to have her cancer recognized as an occupational disease. A landmark court ruling in Bayonne confirmed that cosmic radiation was one of three carcinogenic hazards arising from her profession, alongside passive smoking and prolonged night work.

Lainault, who is now in remission from her cancer, can now retire early with any subsequent treatment fully covered by the French health system. The court's decision also paves the way for numerous other similar claims, according to lawyers. Lainault worked for Air France for over two decades, amassing 12,600 flight hours between 1989 and 2019, with more than half of these hours accumulated during nighttime and long-distance high-altitude flights near the North Pole, where the radiation exposure is at its peak.

A recent study from Harvard Medical School revealed that flight attendants and pilots had the highest rate of radiation-related cancer deaths among the 500+ professions analyzed, with around 6.9% of deaths among flight attendants and 6.7% among pilots attributed to radiation-related cancers. While it remains challenging to pinpoint whether a specific cancer case is caused by radiation, the French court's ruling marks the initial recognition of this link for air hostesses.

Air France declined to comment on the case, emphasizing their commitment to the health and security of their staff.