Living with secondary lung cancer can mean that treatment, appointments and your health become a bigger part of everyday planning. But that does not mean travel has to disappear from your plans.
You might be looking forward to time with family, a change of scene, returning somewhere you love or simply having something enjoyable in the diary.
At Lighthouse Travel Insurance, we help people living with cancer explore travel insurance that takes their individual medical circumstances into account.
Whether you are receiving ongoing treatment, managing symptoms or living a cancer that is currently stable, our aim is to make arranging travel insurance feel clear and manageable, so you can spend more time thinking about the trip itself.
Can you get travel insurance with secondary lung cancer?
Travel insurance may be available if you are living with secondary lung cancer.
What cover is available will depend on your individual circumstances, including your current health, treatment and the trip you are planning.
When you get a quote, you will complete a medical screening. We may ask about your cancer diagnosis, treatment, medication, symptoms, ongoing hospital care and any other medical conditions you have.
If you use prescribed oxygen or other medical equipment, this may also form part of the information we need.
You do not have to work out what is relevant before you start. Our medical screening process will guide you through the questions that apply to you.
Planning a holiday with secondary lung cancer
Everyone’s experience of secondary lung cancer is different. How you feel, the treatment you are having and the way you prefer to travel can all influence the type of trip that works for you.
Rather than assuming travel will be difficult, it can help to think through a few practical details before you book.
Speak to your healthcare team
Talk through your plans with your consultant, cancer nurse, respiratory team or another healthcare professional who knows your circumstances.
Tell them where you would like to go, how long you plan to be away and how you intend to travel. They can help you understand whether your current health or treatment should affect your plans.
Plan around treatment and appointments
If you are receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy or another ongoing treatment, check how your proposed holiday fits around hospital appointments, scans, blood tests and treatment dates.
Your healthcare team can also help you think about side effects and whether there are particular times when you may feel better able to travel.
Do not change or delay treatment to fit around a holiday unless this has been agreed with your medical team.
Think about your energy and breathing
Breathlessness and fatigue can make some journeys or busy itineraries more tiring.
Consider the whole journey rather than simply how long it takes to reach your destination. Walking through large terminals, carrying luggage, changing platforms, standing in queues or transferring between different types of transport can all add to the day.
A little extra time, pre-booked assistance or a more relaxed itinerary can make things feel much more manageable.
Prepare your medication
Take enough medication for your trip, with additional supplies where appropriate in case your return is delayed.
Check how your medication needs to be carried and stored, and whether you need a prescription, medical letter or other documentation for your destination.
Read our guide on Taking Cancer Medication Abroad
Travelling by plane, ferry or train
How you travel can be just as important as where you are going.
Flying
If secondary lung cancer affects your breathing, speak to your healthcare team before flying.
Aircraft cabin pressure and oxygen levels can be an important consideration for some people with lung conditions. Your healthcare team can advise whether you are fit to fly and whether you may need any additional assessment or oxygen during the journey.
If you already use prescribed oxygen, contact your airline before booking to understand its requirements.
Click here to read our guide on Flying with Cancer
Ferry travel
If you are travelling by ferry, think about how you will manage getting around the terminal and ship, particularly if you experience breathlessness, fatigue or reduced mobility.
You may want to check accessibility, lifts, assistance services and how far you may need to walk. If you travel with oxygen or other medical equipment, contact the ferry company beforehand to check its requirements.
Train and Eurostar travel
Train travel can offer another way to reach destinations in the UK and Europe without flying.
If long walks through stations, changes between platforms or carrying luggage could be difficult, check what passenger assistance is available before you travel.
For longer journeys, keep medication and anything else you may need somewhere easy to reach rather than packed away in inaccessible luggage.
Whichever way you choose to travel, choose the journey that feels right for you rather than feeling that there is one correct way to get there.
Travelling with oxygen or breathlessness
Breathlessness does not automatically mean that travel is out of reach.
What matters is understanding how your breathing currently affects you and what support you may need during the journey and while you are away.
If you use prescribed oxygen, speak to your healthcare team about your travel plans and check the requirements of every transport provider you will be using. Airlines, ferry companies and rail operators may have their own arrangements for oxygen and medical equipment.
It can also help to think about your destination itself. Consider distances between your accommodation and the places you want to visit, whether there are steep hills or lots of steps, and whether local transport could make days out easier.
The aim is not to limit what you do. It is to make the practical side of the holiday work around you.
Think about your risk of blood clots
Cancer and some cancer treatments can increase the risk of blood clots, while sitting still for long periods during travel can increase it further. If you are planning a long journey, ask your healthcare team whether there are any precautions you should take.
Declaring secondary lung cancer on your travel insurance
When arranging travel insurance, answer the medical screening questions accurately based on your health at that time.
Depending on your circumstances, we may need information about:
- Your cancer diagnosis
- Treatment you are receiving or have recently received
- Medication you take
- Prescribed oxygen or medical equipment you use
- Symptoms connected to your condition or treatment
- Ongoing hospital appointments or monitoring
- Any other medical conditions you have
If relevant medical information is not declared when required, it could affect your cover and may mean that a related claim cannot be paid.
If your health or treatment changes after you have bought your policy, contact Lighthouse before you travel so we can explain whether your cover needs to be reviewed.
Why Choose Lighthouse Travel Insurance?
At Lighthouse, we want to support people living with cancer to keep travel part of their lives wherever possible.
Our policies can offer:
- Up to £10 million emergency medical expenses.
- Up to £10,000 cancellation cover, based on the trip cost per person declared.
- Up to £5,000 cover for your personal belongings, depending on the policy selected.
- 24/7 access to an Emergency Medical Assistance team.
- Cover for UK, European and Worldwide trips, provided you are not travelling against the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO) travel advice.
- Access to Air Doctor Connect is available on numerous policies, allowing you to connect with over 20,000 doctors in 78 countries. Where non-urgent outpatient treatment is provided through Air Doctor Connect, your policy excess is waived, and you may claim back the cost of prescribed medication when you return home.
Please Note: Any amounts listed above are per insured person on the policy. Cover limits, benefits and exclusions vary between policies. Full details can be found in your policy wording, available in your Customer Area
