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Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
National
Tara Copp | AP

24% higher cancer rates found in military pilots, ground crews, Pentagon study finds

Capt. Jim Seaman, a Navy A-6 Intruder pilot, died of lung cancer at 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)

WASHINGTON — 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 weren’t at greater risk than the general population.

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