A French court has for the first time acknowledged cosmic radiation as a contributing factor to breast cancer in a long-serving flight attendant. The ruling concerns Sophie Lainault, 59, a former Air France stewardess, who sought to have her cancer recognised as an occupational disease.
The landmark decision, made in Bayonne, identified cosmic radiation as one of three carcinogenic hazards associated with her profession. The other two factors cited were passive smoking, which was permitted on Air France flights until 2000, and prolonged night work.
Ms Lainault, who is in remission, can now take early retirement, with any future treatment costs fully reimbursed by the French health system. Her lawyer, Elisabeth Leroux, noted that while links between breast cancer and certain hazards have been established for other professions in France, this is the first time for an air hostess.
Lawyers suggest this ruling could facilitate similar claims from other flight crews by establishing breast cancer as an officially recognised risk. Ms Lainault expressed her hope that the decision would encourage other women to come forward.
A recent study from Harvard Medical School found that flight attendants and pilots had the highest rates of radiation-related cancer deaths among over 500 professions. Approximately 6.9% of deaths among flight attendants and 6.7% among pilots were attributed to radiation-related cancers, exceeding proportions found in nuclear technologists.