Pilots Exposed to Increased Skin Cancer Risk

Piloting a prop plane at 30,000 feet for an hour exposes pilots to as much ultraviolet radiation as 20 minutes in a tanning bed, according to a new study. A dermatologic research team at Mount Zion Cancer Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco, reports that the incidence of melanoma among pilots and their crews is about twice that of the general population. As part of the study, the researchers tested an airplane windshield and found that it only protected against UV-B radiation, not UV-A radiation, which penetrates skin more deeply. More… Discuss

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Rule Changes May Shorten Wait for Transplants

The waiting time for kidney transplants from deceased donors could be reduced for some of the more than 100,000 people in need in the US thanks to new guidelines. The rules for the process were recently revised by the United Network for Organ Sharing, under the direction of the US government. Patients will now be credited with time on the wait list as soon as they start dialysis, and young patients will receive healthy kidneys from young donors—a preventative measure intended to keep them from returning to the wait list for a re-transplant later in life. More… Discuss