A secondary brain cancer diagnosis can bring a lot of uncertainty, and planning a holiday may suddenly involve questions you never expected to have to consider.
Can you get travel insurance? Is it safe to fly? What happens if you are receiving ongoing treatment? Do you need to declare both your original cancer and the secondary cancer?
Having secondary brain cancer does not necessarily mean putting travel plans aside.
You may be hoping for some time away from appointments and treatment, planning a holiday with family or simply wanting to return to somewhere that means something to you.
At Lighthouse Travel Insurance, we help people living with cancer explore cover that takes their individual medical circumstances into account.
We know that secondary brain cancer can make planning a trip more complicated. Your original cancer diagnosis, treatment, medication, symptoms and current health may all need to be considered.
That is why we have brought together practical information to help you understand what to think about when arranging your travel insurance and planning your trip.
Can you get travel insurance with secondary brain cancer?
Travel insurance may be available if you are living with secondary brain cancer.
When you get a quote, you will complete a medical screening where we will ask questions about your diagnosis, treatment, medication and current health.
Secondary brain cancer can affect people very differently. Someone receiving ongoing cancer treatment may have very different circumstances from somebody whose condition is stable and being monitored.
This is why your application needs to be considered individually.
It is important to answer the medical screening questions accurately so we can understand your circumstances and assess the cover available to you.
Understanding secondary brain cancer and your travel insurance
Secondary brain cancer is cancer that has spread to the brain from another part of the body.
This is different from primary brain cancer, which starts in the brain.
If you have secondary brain cancer, you may therefore have an original, or primary, cancer diagnosis as well as cancer affecting your brain.
Your treatment and ongoing care will depend on your individual circumstances.
For travel insurance, it is important that we understand your health as it is today.
When you get a quote, we may ask about your cancer diagnosis, treatment you are receiving or have previously received, medication you take and your ongoing care.
Our medical screening process will guide you through the questions we need to ask, so you do not need to decide for yourself which parts of your medical history are relevant before you begin.
You can visit our Brain Cancer Travel Insurance page here
Travelling with secondary brain cancer
Having secondary brain cancer does not automatically mean that you cannot travel.
Whether a particular trip is suitable will depend on your health, treatment, symptoms and advice from your healthcare team.
Before you travel
- Speak to your healthcare team: Tell them where you are planning to go, how long you will be away and how you intend to travel.
- Plan around treatment and appointments: Check that your holiday does not clash with treatment, scans or other appointments your healthcare team considers important.
- Check whether you are fit to fly: Ask your healthcare team whether flying is appropriate for you, particularly if you have symptoms, have recently had surgery or are receiving treatment. Your airline might have its own requirements.
- Plan your medication: Take enough for your trip, with additional supplies where appropriate, and check the rules for taking medicines into your destination.
- Think about the journey: Consider whether long airport walks, transfers or a busy itinerary will be manageable. Airport assistance may be useful if fatigue or reduced mobility affects you.
- Know where to get medical help: Keep your insurer’s Emergency Medical Assistance details accessible and consider where you could obtain appropriate medical care at your destination.
During your holiday
You may find it helpful to:
- Keep essential medication with you.
- Follow any advice your healthcare team has given you.
- Build rest into your plans if you experience fatigue.
- Keep useful medical information accessible.
- Know where you could obtain medical assistance locally.
- Keep your insurer’s Emergency Medical Assistance details easy to find.
- Leave some flexibility in your plans if your health or energy levels change.
Taking care of some of these practical things before you leave can give you less to think about once your holiday begins.
Flying with secondary brain cancer
Whether you can fly with secondary brain cancer will depend on your individual medical circumstances.
Your healthcare team may need to consider your diagnosis, symptoms, current treatment, recent surgery and general health before advising whether flying is suitable for you.
If you have secondary brain cancer and are considering flying, speak to your healthcare team before booking. They can advise whether flying is appropriate for you and whether you need to take any additional precautions.
Your airline may also have its own medical requirements and could ask for additional information or confirmation that you are fit to fly.
Read our guide on Flying During and After Cancer Treatment
Flying with a brain tumour or after brain surgery
Whether you can fly with a brain tumour will depend on your individual health and medical circumstances.
If you have recently had brain surgery, it is particularly important to speak to your surgical or specialist team before booking a flight.
There is no single waiting period after brain surgery that applies to everybody.
Following some operations, air can remain trapped inside the body. Changes in aircraft cabin pressure can cause trapped air to expand, which is one reason flying too soon after some brain operations can be unsafe.
Your surgical team can advise when flying is appropriate based on the procedure you have had, your recovery and whether there have been any complications.
You should also check your airline’s requirements. Depending on your circumstances, it may ask for medical information, a fit-to-fly letter or another form of medical clearance before you travel.
If you experience seizures or have other symptoms that you are concerned may affect flying, discuss them specifically with your healthcare team.
Secondary brain cancer, seizures and travelling
Some people affected by cancer in the brain may experience seizures or take medication to manage them.
This does not automatically mean that you cannot travel, but it is something to discuss with your healthcare team when planning your trip.
They can advise whether travelling or flying is suitable for you based on your individual circumstances and what you should do if you experience a seizure while you are away.
If you take medication, make sure you have enough for your trip and check the rules for travelling with it before you leave.
When arranging your travel insurance, answer the medical screening questions accurately and provide information about your diagnosis, symptoms, treatment and medication when asked.
Travelling during treatment for secondary brain cancer
Some people may be able to travel while receiving treatment for secondary brain cancer.
Whether this is appropriate will depend on the treatment you are receiving, how it is affecting you, your current health and advice from your healthcare team.
If you are considering a holiday during treatment, speak to your cancer team before booking.
They can help you consider your treatment schedule, appointments, possible side effects and whether your proposed journey and destination are suitable.
Do not change, delay or miss treatment simply to fit around a holiday unless this has been agreed with your healthcare team.
Your travel insurance also needs to reflect your current treatment and medical circumstances.
Read out guide on Travel Insurance During Active Cancer Treatment
Taking medication abroad
If you take medication for your cancer, symptoms or treatment side effects, plan how you will manage it before travelling.
Take enough medication for your whole trip, with additional supplies where appropriate in case your return is delayed.
Depending on your medication and destination, you may need supporting documentation such as a copy of your prescription or a letter from your healthcare team. Some medicines may also have particular storage requirements or restrictions when entering another country.
Do not assume that you will be able to obtain the same medication easily while you are abroad.
Our dedicated guide explains the practical things to consider when taking cancer medication abroad
The Importance of Declaring Your Medical Conditions and Secondary Brain Cancer
Your travel insurance needs to reflect your health when you arrange your cover.
When completing medical screening, you may be asked about:
- Your cancer diagnosis.
- Your secondary brain cancer.
- Treatment you are receiving or have recently completed.
- Medication you take.
- Surgery you have had.
- Ongoing hospital appointments, scans or follow-up care.
- Symptoms or medical conditions connected to your cancer or treatment.
- Any other medical conditions you have.
Because secondary brain cancer has spread from cancer elsewhere in the body, make sure you answer questions about your wider cancer diagnosis accurately as well as questions relating to the cancer in your brain.
Do not assume that information does not need to be mentioned because your original cancer was diagnosed some time ago or because a particular treatment has finished.
Providing accurate information allows us to assess your circumstances and explain the cover available to you.
If relevant medical information is not declared when required, it could affect your cover and may mean that a related claim cannot be paid.
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
