A bladder cancer diagnosis can change the way you think about travelling. A holiday you once would have planned without much thought may now come with questions about treatment, medication, needing more frequent access to a toilet and whether you can get travel insurance that takes your diagnosis into account.
But having bladder cancer does not necessarily mean putting your travel plans aside.
You may be hoping to get away during treatment, planning your first holiday after treatment has finished, travelling while having regular follow-up appointments or living beyond bladder cancer.
Whatever your circumstances, time away can still be something to look forward to. It might mean seeing family, returning somewhere you love, celebrating the end of treatment or simply having a break from appointments and everyday routines.
At Lighthouse Travel Insurance, we help people living with and recovering from cancer find cover that takes their medical circumstances into account.
We know that travelling with or after bladder cancer can bring up questions you may never have needed to consider before. Can you travel during treatment? When can you fly after surgery? What should you think about if you need regular access to a toilet? Do you still need to declare bladder cancer if your treatment has finished?
There is not one answer that applies to everyone. Your diagnosis, treatment, recovery and current health all matter.
That is why we have brought together some of the practical things to consider when planning your trip.
Can you get travel insurance with bladder cancer?
In many cases, travel insurance may be available if you are living with bladder cancer, receiving treatment, have finished treatment or are in remission.
When you get a quote, you will go through a medical screening where we will ask questions about your diagnosis, treatment, medication and current health. This helps us understand your individual circumstances and the cover available to you.
Someone who has finished treatment and is attending follow-up appointments may have very different circumstances from somebody who is currently receiving treatment or recovering from surgery.
It is important to answer the questions accurately so you can be confident you have declared the medical information we need.
You do not need to decide beforehand which parts of your medical history are relevant. Our medical screening process will guide you through the questions we need to ask.
Understanding bladder cancer and your travel insurance
Bladder cancer can affect people differently, and treatment and follow-up care will depend on the person’s individual diagnosis and circumstances.
You may be receiving treatment, recovering from an operation, taking medication or attending regular appointments to monitor your health. Some people may also experience changes that affect how they plan journeys or manage day-to-day activities while they are away.
For travel insurance, it is your individual circumstances that matter.
When you get a quote, we may ask about your bladder cancer diagnosis, treatment you have received or are currently having, medication you take and your ongoing care.
This helps us understand your health as it is today and assess the cover available to you.
If you are currently receiving treatment, our guide to travelling during active cancer treatment has more information about planning around treatment schedules, appointments, medication and possible changes in your health.
If your treatment has finished, you can also find more detailed information about arranging cover and planning your first trips afterwards.
Travelling with bladder cancer
Having bladder cancer does not necessarily mean that you cannot travel. Whether a particular trip is suitable will depend on your health, treatment, recovery and the advice of your healthcare team.
The important thing is to plan around your circumstances rather than somebody else’s experience.
Before you travel
- Speak to your healthcare team: If you are receiving treatment, have recently had surgery or are unsure whether you are ready to travel, discuss your plans with your consultant, specialist nurse or another member of your healthcare team.
- Plan around treatment and appointments: Check whether your trip clashes with treatment, tests, scans or follow-up appointments that your healthcare team considers important. If you are currently having cancer treatment, ask whether your treatment schedule or possible side effects should influence when you travel.
- Check whether you are fit to fly: If you have recently had surgery or treatment, ask your healthcare team when it is appropriate for you to fly. There is no single waiting period that will be right for everybody. Your airline may also have its own requirements.
- Think about toilet access: If your bladder cancer or its treatment means you need to use the toilet more frequently, think about how this could affect the journey as well as your time away. An aisle seat, planned stops on longer journeys and checking facilities at your accommodation may make travelling more comfortable.
- Plan any medical supplies you need: If you regularly use medical equipment or supplies, speak to your healthcare team about what you should take and how much you may need while you are away. Check airline requirements for carrying medical equipment before travelling.
- Bring enough medication: Take enough medication for your trip, with additional supplies where appropriate in case you are delayed. Keep essential medicines in your hand luggage and check the rules for taking them into your destination.
- Check vaccinations: Cancer treatment can affect which travel vaccinations are suitable for you. Speak to your healthcare team or a travel health professional before arranging vaccinations for your trip.
- Consider your energy levels: If treatment or recovery has left you feeling tired, think about the whole journey rather than simply the flight. Airport walks, transfers and a busy itinerary can all add to the demands of travelling.
For more detailed advice about medication, including storage, documentation, controlled medicines, liquids and travelling with needles or syringes, read our guide to Taking Cancer Medication Abroad
During your holiday
Once you are away, try to travel at a pace that works for how you are feeling.
You may find it helpful to:
- Build rest into your itinerary if you experience fatigue
- Plan ahead for toilet access on journeys and days out
- Keep essential medication and medical supplies with you
- Store medication according to its instructions
- Keep well hydrated, following any individual advice from your healthcare team
- Know where you could obtain medical assistance locally
- Keep your insurer’s emergency assistance details somewhere easily accessible
- Leave some flexibility in your plans in case your symptoms or energy levels change
Planning for the practical things before you leave can help them take up less of your attention once you are actually on holiday.
Flying during or after bladder cancer treatment
Whether you can fly during or after bladder cancer treatment will depend on your individual circumstances.
If you have recently had an operation or are currently receiving treatment, speak to your healthcare team before booking your flight. They can consider your treatment, recovery, current health and any complications when advising whether you are medically fit to fly.
There is no universal waiting period after cancer treatment or surgery that applies to everybody.
Your airline may also have its own requirements and, in some circumstances, may ask for medical information or confirmation that you are fit to fly.
Read our guide to Flying During and After Cancer Treatment
Planning around urinary symptoms when travelling
For some people affected by bladder cancer, access to toilets may become a more important part of planning a journey.
If this affects you, think about the practical details before you travel. You might want to check where toilets are available at airports, stations and places you intend to visit, choose an aisle seat for longer journeys or make sure your accommodation has facilities that meet your needs.
If you use medical equipment or supplies as part of managing your health, speak to your healthcare team about travelling with them. You should also check any relevant airline, airport or other forms of transport and destination requirements before you leave.
Do not change how you manage symptoms simply to make travelling easier unless your healthcare team has advised you to do so.
If you are concerned about new symptoms or a change in existing symptoms before your holiday, speak to your healthcare team rather than assuming they will not affect your travel plans.
Travelling after bladder cancer treatment
Finishing treatment can make a holiday feel particularly important. It might be somewhere you have been thinking about throughout treatment, or simply an opportunity to spend time away from hospitals and appointments.
There is no single point at which everybody is ready to travel after cancer treatment.
Your recovery will depend on your treatment, current health and how you are feeling. Some treatment effects may continue after treatment itself has finished.
If you have recently completed treatment, speak to your healthcare team about your plans, particularly if you are still experiencing side effects or recovering from surgery.
You may also still need to declare your bladder cancer when arranging travel insurance after treatment has finished. Answer the medical screening questions accurately based on your medical history and current circumstances.
Read our Travel Insurance After Cancer Treatment guide
If your cancer is in remission, our remission guide explains more about medical screening, follow-up care and arranging travel insurance at this stage.
The Importance of Declaring Your Medical Conditions
Your travel insurance needs to reflect your health when you arrange your cover.
When completing your medical screening, you may need to tell us about:
- Your bladder cancer diagnosis
- Treatment you are receiving or have recently completed
- Surgery you have had
- Medication you take
- Ongoing hospital appointments or follow-up care
- Medical conditions connected to your cancer or treatment
- Any other medical conditions you have
Do not assume that your bladder cancer no longer needs to be mentioned because treatment has finished or you are feeling well.
Answer the medical screening questions accurately based on your circumstances at the time.
Providing accurate information allows us to assess your circumstances and explain the cover available to you. If relevant medical information is not declared, it could affect your cover and may mean that a related claim cannot be paid.
If your health changes after you buy your policy, contact Lighthouse before you travel. This could include a new diagnosis, starting or changing treatment, new medication or a change in an existing medical condition.
Depending on the change, your policy may need to be reviewed.
Why Choose Lighthouse Travel Insurance?
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
