The French decision calls attention to breast cancer as an occupational disease

A first for the French aviation industry, the court in Bayonne recognized breast cancer as an occupational disease. The landmark ruling came this July after Sophie Lainault, a former flight attendant who is now in remission from cancer, took her case to court.

Inside the landmark decision

The decision, seen by Agence France-Presse, acknowledged the occupational origins of Ms Lainault’s cancer. The court highlighted the role of night shifts, exposure to ionizing radiation at high altitudes and second-hand smoke, and found that these factors may have contributed to Ms Lainault’s breast cancer. She also noted the absence of any genetic or lifestyle factors that might otherwise explain the cancer.

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The 59-year-old has accumulated 12,600 flight hours for Air France between 1989 and 2019, including 6,500 at night. She initially worked as a flight attendant and later as a long-haul manager for the country’s flagship airline. Smoking was allowed on her flights until 2000.

Ms Lainault recalled her struggle to AFP, saying she fought for two and a half years with the help of activists from the CFDT (French Democratic Confederation of Labour) to secure recognition. Before this verdict, two regional committees that recognize occupational diseases concluded that no connection had been proven in her case.

According to her, the decision will allow her to retire early. The verdict also ensures that any further treatment he may require will be fully covered by French health authorities, BBC News reported.

Ms Lainault’s lawyer, Elisabeth Leroux, said the court’s decision set a legal precedent. “In France, the link between breast cancer and certain risks has been shown in a number of professions, such as nurses… but this is the first time that it has been done in an airship.”

Earlier, in 2023, another French breast cancer survivor underwent a similar legal battle. She worked night shifts for 28 years. Her fight led to the court recognizing her cancer as an occupational disease.

The risks of flying

Many scientific studies have investigated the links between long-term night work, circadian disruption and exposure to ionizing radiation and an increased risk of certain cancers.

A study published Aug. 17 of this year in JAMA Internal Medicine found that flight attendants and pilots in the United States have the highest and second highest rates of radiation-related cancer deaths among 503 occupations studied.

The team, led by first author Vishal Patel, an HMS clinical fellow in surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, examined nearly 13 million US death certificates from 2020 to 2024, covering 503 occupations, including 14,000 pilots and 7,000 flight attendants.

According to the analysis, about 6.9% of deaths among flight attendants and 6.7% of deaths among pilots were from radiation-related cancer. According to Harvard Medical School, these rates were higher than in any other job studied, including nuclear technologists who are routinely exposed to radiation from non-space sources. Aircrew members are also more likely to be diagnosed with certain cancers than the general population, it said.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aircrew accumulate an estimated 3 to 6 millisieverts per year of cosmic radiation, depending on the flight paths, an order of magnitude above the estimated 0.4 millisieverts per year for the average airline passenger on 10 round-trip flights across the country each year.

A possible precedent

According to an AFP report, breast cancer is the deadliest cancer in women in France, causing nearly 13,000 deaths each year. The World Health Organization estimates that breast cancer will cause about 6,94,000 deaths worldwide in 2024.

The French court’s recognition also highlights the wider debate about the health risks associated with night work. Before the July ruling, Denmark also officially recognized breast cancer as an occupational disease associated with long-term night work. Indian labor laws do not directly address the health problems associated with circadian rhythm disruption caused by years of night shift work.

Ms Lainault hopes her legal victory will help other women in the future. “It is really my dearest wish that this opens the way for other women who may not have dared to do it yet,” she told AFP.

Published – 28 Aug 2026 14:57 IST