Travel and cancer

If you’re affected by cancer, a holiday can be a chance to put the illness and any treatment behind you, relax and spend time with the people you love. Being in the middle of treatment doesn’t always mean you can’t travel. It may still be possible to plan some time away. Your cancer specialist can tell you if this might be possible and tell you about the best time to go away.

Holidays can be an opportunity to see new places, start to feel better or to reflect on what you’ve been through. Whatever your reasons for getting away, there are some things to think about before you travel. In this blog, our editor Elissia talks about how cancer can affect travel, and what to consider when planning your trip and while you’re away. With good planning, you can often avoid travel problems.

How can cancer affect travel?
Before planning a holiday it’s important to check with your doctor that you are fit to travel. Sometimes cancer or cancer treatments can cause physical effects that mean you need to delay travel or take extra care when travelling. For example, air travel may not be safe for a few weeks after certain types of operation or if you have breathlessness or anaemia.

Your doctor can also tell you about any other health issues you should think about. During some types of cancer treatments, and for a time afterwards, you may be less able to fight infections or your skin may be more sensitive to the sun. So you will need to take extra care to avoid infection and stay safe in the sun.

You may have a higher risk of blood clots because of cancer or cancer treatment. If your holiday involves air travel or a long journey in a car, train or bus ask your doctor or nurse for advice on preventing blood clots.

If you have cancer or have had recent cancer treatment it can be more difficult to get travel insurance. But, it’s important you tell your travel insurers about cancer and any other medical conditions you have. If you don’t, your insurance may not have to pay out if you need to make a claim.

Here is a checklist you can use before you travel

• Have you checked with your doctor that it's safe for you to travel?
• Will you need someone to travel with you?
• Will you need any special equipment?
• Have you let the airport, travel company and your accommodation know about any particular needs?
• Do you need vaccinations for the destination? Remember to take any relevant certificates with you.
• Have you got enough medicines or medical supplies for the whole time you will be away? Remember to take extra supplies in case your return is delayed.
• Have you packed all your medical supplies or equipment in your hand luggage, where you can keep a careful eye on them?
• Do you have your travel insurance policy and certificate?
• If you’re travelling to a European Economic Area country or to Switzerland: Do you have a European Health Insurance Card?

Knowing what to do if you become ill while you’re away
It’s important you know what to do if you feel unwell while on holiday. You’ll probably be in an unfamiliar place and might not know where to go or who to contact.

Here are some tips:

• Keep your travel insurance details and EHIC card (if you’re travelling in Europe) with you. You could keep their details in your mobile phone if you have one.
• If you feel unwell when staying in a hotel, ask the receptionist to call a doctor, or the hospital, for you.
• If you need urgent care ask the hotel to contact emergency services, contact emergency services yourself, or make your own way to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.
• Make sure you have the contact details of your friends and relatives to hand, in case they need to be contacted.
• The British Consular officials should be able to help if you need to travel home to the UK straight away.

Staying safe
When you are on holiday you want to relax and enjoy yourself. Here are some tips for avoiding health problems while on holiday:

• Take care if you’re out in the sun. Check out our blog about keeping safe in the sun.
• Drink bottled water if you are not sure the water is clean. Don’t use ice in drinks. Try not to swallow water when swimming.
• Make sure you eat food that has been cooked thoroughly. Avoid food that may have been exposed to flies (for example street stalls).
• Use insect repellent to avoid infections from bites.

If you’d like to find out more about travel and cancer, including any of the things we’ve talked about here, our booklet Travel and cancer might be helpful. You can also find information on our website.

To see what else Macmillan's cancer information team has been blogging about, please visit our blog home page! You can subscribe to receive our blogs by email or RSS too.

We're with you every step of the way

The Macmillan team is here to help. Our cancer support specialists can answer your questions, offer support, or simply listen if you need a chat. Call us free on 0808 808 00 00.

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