Introduction:

Cosmic radiation, as a type of ionizing radiation, is associated with the induction of cancer in exposed people. Since the level of exposure is related to altitude, workers exposed to higher cosmic radiation (airline pilots, cabin crew, astronauts) could be exposed to a higher risk of neoplasms.

Objective: To identify the risk of neoplasms in workers exposed to cosmic radiation.

Method:

Systematic review of scientific literature retrieved from different databases until November 2021. The terms used as descriptors were: “Neoplasms”, “Occupational Exposure” and “Cosmic Radiation”. The search was completed with other free-text terms and no filters (limits) were used. Original articles of observational studies and systematic reviews were included, whose quality was evaluated through the STROBE and AMSTAR-2 guidelines, respectively.

Results:

597 references were retrieved. From these, 10 articles could be obtained in full text after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Some of them describe an increased risk of cancer in workers exposed to cosmic radiation, especially skin cancer and breast cancer, while others did not show a significant relationship between exposure to cosmic radiation and the development of neoplasms.

Conclusions:

There is not enough evidence to demonstrate the risk of neoplasms among pilots, flight attendants and astronauts, due to being exposed to cosmic radiation.