A leukaemia diagnosis can change the way you think about travelling. Alongside choosing where to go and what to pack, you may now find yourself thinking about treatment dates, medication, blood tests, infection risk and whether you can get travel insurance that takes your diagnosis into account.
But having leukaemia does not necessarily mean that you have to stop travelling.
Your circumstances will depend on the type of leukaemia you have, the treatment you are receiving and how you are feeling. You may be living with a chronic form of leukaemia that is being monitored or controlled with medication, receiving treatment for acute leukaemia, recovering after treatment, or living in remission.
Whatever point you are at, a holiday can still be something to look forward to.
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 leukaemia can bring up questions that were never part of planning a holiday before your diagnosis. Can you travel while having treatment? What happens if your blood counts are low? Can you take your medication abroad? Is it safe to fly? Do you still need to declare leukaemia if you are in remission?
That is why we have brought together some of the questions and practical considerations that may help you prepare for your trip with greater confidence.
Can you get travel insurance with leukaemia?
In many cases, you may be able to get travel insurance if you are living with leukaemia, receiving treatment, have finished treatment or are in remission.
When you get a quote, you will go through a travel insurance 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.
The questions you are asked may depend on the type of leukaemia you have and how it is being managed.
Someone living with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who is currently being monitored without treatment, for example, may have very different circumstances from someone receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
It is important to answer the questions accurately so you can be confident you have declared the medical information we need.
Understanding leukaemia and Your Travel Insurance
Leukaemia is a type of blood cancer that affects blood cells and the bone marrow.
There are several different types of leukaemia. Four of the main types are:
- Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which develops quickly and usually requires treatment soon after diagnosis
- Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), another fast-growing form of leukaemia that usually requires prompt treatment
- Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), which generally develops more slowly and may not always require treatment straight away
- Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), which also usually develops more slowly and is often treated with targeted medicines
There are other, less common forms of leukaemia too.
Find out more about Blood Cancer Travel Insurance
The type of leukaemia you have can make a significant difference to your treatment and day-to-day health.
You may be receiving chemotherapy, targeted medicines, immunotherapy or other treatment. You may have had a stem cell transplant, take medication over a longer period, or attend regular appointments and blood tests while your condition is monitored.
For Leukaemia travel insurance, it is your individual circumstances that matter.
When you get a quote, we may ask about your diagnosis, the treatment you have received or are currently having, any medication you take and your ongoing care.
This helps us understand your health as it is today and assess the cover available to you. You do not need to work out what information is relevant before you start. Our medical screening process will guide you through the questions we need to ask.
Find out more about how travel insurance medical screening works
Travelling with leukaemia
Having leukaemia does not necessarily mean that you cannot travel. Depending on your health, treatment and advice from your medical team, you should still be able to enjoy holidays in the UK or abroad.
The important thing is to plan around your circumstances.
Someone whose chronic leukaemia is stable may have very different travel considerations from somebody receiving intensive treatment for acute leukaemia. Try not to judge whether you should travel based on someone else’s experience of the condition.
Before you travel
- Speak to your healthcare team: If you are receiving treatment, have recently finished treatment or are unsure whether you are ready to travel, discuss your plans with your haematology team, consultant or clinical nurse specialist.
- Plan around your treatment: Treatment for leukaemia can vary considerably. Ask your healthcare team whether your treatment schedule, possible side effects or recovery periods should influence when you travel.
- Ask about your blood counts: Leukaemia and its treatment can affect the number of healthy blood cells in your body. Your healthcare team can explain whether your current blood counts have any implications for travelling and whether any upcoming blood tests should be factored into your plans.
- Understand your infection risk: Leukaemia and some treatments can weaken your immune system. Ask your healthcare team whether you currently have an increased risk of infection and whether this should affect your destination, timing or travel plans.
- Check you are fit to fly: If you have completed treatment, are still receiving treatment, have recently had a stem cell transplant, are experiencing significant side effects or have concerns about your general health, ask your healthcare team whether flying is appropriate for you. Your airline may also have its own requirements.
- Bring enough medication: If you take ongoing medication for your leukaemia, take enough for your trip and additional supplies where appropriate in case you are delayed. Keep essential medication in your hand luggage and check any entry requirements for medication at your destination. Click here, to read our blog ‘Travelling abroad with prescribed medication: What you need to know’
- Check vaccinations early: Leukaemia and some treatments can affect your immune system and which vaccinations are suitable for you. Speak to your healthcare team or a travel health professional before having travel vaccinations.
- Plan around hospital appointments: If you have regular blood tests, monitoring appointments or treatment, make sure your holiday dates do not clash with care that your medical team considers important.
- Consider airport assistance: If fatigue, weakness or reduced mobility could make getting through an airport difficult, check what assistance your airline or airport can provide.
During your holiday
You do not have to approach a holiday in the same way you did before your diagnosis. Giving yourself a little more flexibility can make it easier to enjoy your time away.
You may find it helpful to:
- Build rest into your itinerary if you experience fatigue
- Keep well hydrated, particularly in warmer destinations
- Follow any infection precautions recommended by your healthcare team
- Carry essential medication with you rather than leaving everything at your accommodation
- Store medication according to its instructions
- Know what your medical team has advised you to do if you develop a fever or become unwell
- 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 energy levels change
The aim is not to make your diagnosis the focus of your holiday. Planning for the things that might affect you can simply make it easier to concentrate on enjoying the time you have away.
Leukaemia, blood counts and travelling
Leukaemia affects the production and function of blood cells, and treatment can also temporarily reduce the number of healthy blood cells in your body.
This may mean there are times when you are more vulnerable to infection, feel more tired or weak, or experience other effects that could influence your ability to travel.
Your blood counts can also change during treatment, which is one reason regular blood tests are an important part of care for many people with leukaemia.
There is no single blood test result that determines whether everybody with leukaemia can or cannot travel. Your healthcare team will need to consider your results alongside your treatment, symptoms and wider health.
Before booking or travel, particularly if you are receiving active treatment, ask whether your latest blood results have any implications for your plans.
If your healthcare team advises you to seek urgent medical help if you develop particular symptoms while you are away, make sure you understand what those symptoms are and what you should do and where the nearest health care facility is.
Leukaemia, infection risk and travelling
Leukaemia itself can affect the immune system, and some treatments can further reduce your body’s ability to fight infection.
Your level of risk will depend on your type of leukaemia, treatment and current health.
If your immune system is weakened, speak to your healthcare team about whether you need to take additional precautions while travelling.
This might affect considerations such as:
- Where and when you travel
- Crowded airports and other forms of public transport
- Food and water precautions
- Travel vaccinations
- Access to appropriate healthcare at your destination
- What to do if you develop a fever or signs of infection
Your medical team knows your treatment and blood results, so they are best placed to advise you about your individual level of risk.
Travelling while taking long-term leukaemia medication
Some people with chronic leukaemia take medicines over a longer period.
For example, targeted medicines are commonly used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and can also be used for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Being on ongoing treatment does not necessarily mean that you cannot travel, but it does mean that your medication needs to be part of your planning.
Before you leave:
- Make sure you have enough medication for the whole trip, plus additional supplies where appropriate
- Check how your medicine needs to be stored
- Keep essential medication in your hand luggage
- Take a copy of your prescription or supporting medical documentation if appropriate
- Check the rules for bringing your medication into the country you are visiting
- Think about how changes in time zone could affect when you take your medicine and ask your healthcare team or pharmacist if you are unsure
Do not change or interrupt your treatment simply to fit around a holiday unless your healthcare team has specifically advised you to do so.
Flying with leukaemia
Whether you can fly with leukaemia will depend on your individual health and where you are in your treatment or recovery.
There is no single rule that applies to everyone.
Someone living with stable chronic leukaemia may have very different considerations from somebody who has recently received intensive chemotherapy or undergone a stem cell transplant.
Leukaemia and its treatment can sometimes affect your blood counts, energy levels or risk of infection. Cancer and some treatments may also increase the risk of blood clots, and sitting still for a long journey can add to that risk.
Speak to your healthcare team if you have any concerns about flying. They can advise you based on your current health, treatment and blood results.
Your airline may also have its own requirements about fitness to fly, so check these before travelling.
The Importance of Declaring Your Medical Conditions
Whether it is unexpected medical treatment abroad or returning home early because of a medical emergency, healthcare costs while travelling can quickly become expensive. Having travel insurance that reflects your individual health is therefore an important part of travelling with confidence.
When arranging your travel insurance, it is important to tell us about:
- Your leukaemia diagnosis
- The type of leukaemia you have
- Any medication you are taking
- Any treatment you are currently receiving or have recently completed
- Any stem cell or bone marrow transplant you have had
- Any ongoing hospital appointments, blood tests, monitoring or follow-up care
- Any medical conditions that have developed as a result of your leukaemia or its treatment
- Any other medical conditions you have
Providing accurate information allows us to assess your circumstances and explain the cover available to you.
If medical conditions or treatments are not declared when required, it could affect your cover and may mean claims relating to those conditions cannot be paid.
At Lighthouse, we aim to make medical screening straightforward, helping you understand what information we need so you can travel with greater peace of mind.
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
