Higher cancer rates found in military pilots, ground crews

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Higher cancer rates found in military pilots, ground crews
By Tara Copp, AP
Mar 19, 10:40 AM
This image provided by Betty Seaman shows Navy A-6 Intruder pilot Jim Seaman.
This image provided by Betty Seaman shows Navy A-6 Intruder pilot Jim Seaman. Navy Capt. Jim Seaman died of lung cancer at the age of 61. His widow Betty Seaman has been part of a large group of aviators and their surviving spouses who have lobbied Congress and the Pentagon for years to look into the number of cancers aviators and ground crew face. (Betty Seaman via AP)

A Pentagon study has found high rates of cancer among military pilots and for the first time has shown that ground crews who fuel, maintain and launch those aircraft are also getting sick.

The data had long been sought by retired military aviators who have raised alarms for years about the number of air and ground crew members they knew who had cancer. They were told that earlier military studies had found they were not at greater risk than the general U.S. population.

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