French Court Links Flight Attendant’s Breast Cancer to Frequent Flying

Sophie Lainault cut her hip-length hair to a few centimeters before starting chemotherapy for breast cancer. She feared the hair would soon fall out in clumps, but the treatment also took her eyelashes and eyebrows.

During hospital infusions, she wore thick ice cuffs on her hands and feet in an effort to keep the chemicals away from her extremities. Her nails nevertheless turned yellow, then black, before falling out. She felt severely ill, suffered nausea and found every step painful.

Lainault’s case has gained wider importance after a French court recognized a connection between flying and breast cancer for the first time. Her breast cancer was accepted as an occupational disease, raising questions about the risks faced by flight personnel.

The case centers on cosmic radiation inside aircraft and its possible role in cancer risk. It also raises questions about what the ruling could mean for flight crews and airlines, although the available details do not specify the court’s broader legal consequences.

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My hair was a sign of femininity for me, a very important part of me.