Hello Ladies, sorry and Guys
I was wondering if you could help me. I popped into my local thomson holiday shop today thinking I might be able to get away for a week in the sun with my 12yr old daughter. I asked about holiday insurance whereby the sales consultant put me on the telephone to their insurers AXA. He asked me a few questions
- When was I diagnosed
- Am I currently undergoing any tests for any spread.
- Age
- Did I have full Mastectomy
- Any lymph node involvement etc.
I answered his questions Mum aged 41, Breast Cancer. Mastectomy - Left. Full anc clearance. 6 nodes posotive. Her2 Posotive. er+ pr-.Have done Chemo Epi-Cmf. 15 Radio and currently receiving Herceptin 3 wkly. He said sorry cant insure you. The sales consultant then told me sorry cant book you a holiday either.
Would love to just get a week away between my Herceptin.
You don’t have to take the insurance offered by the travel agent - although they would like you to as they get commission and for “normal” people it is more expensive than what you can get elsewhere.
There are several threads about travel insurance here that will give you names of companies that will insure you. Find one that will and then tell the sales consultant that you have insurance.
Good luck and enjoy your holiday
Sharon x
This situation can be difficult. I finished herceptin in September and found that I couldn’t get coverage from Marrs for an upcoming trip to the US, even though I am more than three years out from diagnosis. The whole problem was nodes: they were willing to insure me at no additional charge at all until I said that I had spread to my lymph nodes, but with nodes they weren’t able to cover me at all, in large part because their screening questions don’t distinguish whether the spread has been surgically removed or not. Some insurers are better than others. I am not surprised that AXA has been a problem because they have not been fair to cancer patients in other circumstances.
Freedom asked fairly sensible questions geared specifically to breast cancer patients and was willing to insure me, albeit at a fairly high price, but that is largely because I am going to North America. A sunny part of the European Union would be the cheapest choice.
Unfortunately, the insurers have not altered their screening questions to account for the use of herceptin. So, patients on herceptin are classified as being higher risk for longer than they would be if the drug were not available, even though the drug greatly reduces the risk of recurrence.
Hi Tracy
I went on a couple of breaks during my chemo and while I was able to get travel insurance with marks and spencer’s it was expensive and I wasn’t covered if I had any cancer related illnesses while away but my ONC reassured me that I would be fine and I just took a big bag of meds with me to be on the safe side.
I also book everything through expedia or lastminute.com and they do not require you to have travel insurance like some agents may.
Good luck and hope you get sorted!
Moira P
I went to Florida 2 yrs ago on my own to stay with friends (husband disabled and unwilling to travel) and found it difficult to get reasonably priced insurance. I had a 2 cm invasive tumour, with DCIS, and 4/18 nodes cancerous. I was dx in Jan 2003. My hairdresser, who had bc a year before me, suggested I use the Post Office’s travel insurance, as she had a 6 cm tumour, chemo, rads, etc. and goes on a cruise to the Carribean, Canada and USA each year and she had no problem. I did get insured with them, for an unbelievable £65 for 2 weeks, BUT, with no cover for bc. They also covered me for Crohn’s, which I was very surprised at, since I did have a severe rectal haemorrhage in Florida 6 years ago and was hospitalised for 5 days at a cost of 15,000. I figured that a 2 week stay in Florida would not present with any life threatening bc problems, so I went with them.
You might try and get a quote from them.
Good luck,Liz.
Try Freedom Travel based in Cambridge and ask for Fiona.
Jane
I have had 2 foreign holiday while on herceptin and tamoxifen, the first only being 7 weeks after finishing rads so I knew I would experience problems with full cover so settled for Tesco family cover which excluded any BC claims. As it was only a week in Lanzarote I was willing to take the chance (and I was fine) I booked through Portland (part of Thomsons) and advised them at booking that due to medical history I would have to arrange own cover and they were fine and even asked if I would need assistance at the airport.
My second trip was to New York in march 2007 and I gave MARRS a call, they at first referred me to Fortis Health Line and I has to answer their Health Questionnaire, all was accepted and I was given full cover (they actually came in cheaper than tesco who again said they would cover but would exclude any BC claims). They were fully aware that I had had full surgery (with nodes involved) and I was currently on herceptin and tamoxifen as preventative.
Hope this helps if you want more info quite happy to post their questionnaire for you.
Debbie
Thank you Ladies for all your advice. I just felt a little down on Sat and a little unimpressed by the Guy on the telephone, he was probably only doing his job.
We do try to get back to as normal as we can and then …, well you probably know how it is.
Also just getting used to the New forums. I dont think we can view profiles yet. Hopefully soon.
Take care and thanks again
Love Tracey
xxxxx
Hi there,
I got holiday travel insurance with M+S for the normal price but they wouldn’t cover me for things related to breast cancer. But it’s so unlikely that anything to do with breast cancer would crop up and have to be dealt with urgently during the holiday that I took the chance.
I suppose the only thing might be if you had lymphoedema (like me) and developed an infection (cellulitis) while away. I made sure I had the appropriate antibiotics and instructions from my GP before I went away so even if I got an infection I could start the antibiotics myself and hopefully not have to see a doctor on holiday.
I really hope you get away Tracey!
Rowena