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User
Posted 03 Jul 2025 at 12:57

Sorry to be back on here asking the same question but has anyone found an answer to the insurance declaration regarding treatment . Active surveillance is not an option only wait and watch I am told this is entirely different. The other option is when asked about  treatment Yes, but treatment is still ongoing, or treatment is planned is this a better option . Whilst I know nothing regarding the cancer will happen whilst away I am more than aware that if I declare incorrectly my policy would be void in the event of having to get medical help with an unrelated problem. The insurance tell me they do check with the gp if you claim . Why on earth isn’t active insurance included . I am now at the point of giving up. The go couldn’t help and I haven’t had a response from the hospital. Sorry to go on but it is frustrating 

 

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 15:41
Extract from Prostate Cancer UK

'Other terms you might hear

Some people use names such as ‘active monitoring’, ‘deferred therapy’, ‘watch and wait’ and ‘wait and see’ to describe both watchful waiting and active surveillance. These can mean different things to different people, so ask your doctor or nurse to explain exactly what they mean' .

Having researched it, I believe that men on Watchful Weighting can have PSA tests but not usually MRI or DRE and are usually monitored by changes they exhibit. Men on this usually have pretty advanced cancer but may be treated but not with curative expectation. Men on Active Surveillance have more extensive and frequent tests and can be treated with curative intent should treatment be wanted and needed.

A thought here. What is an appropriate term for men that have been treated but are still being monitored as most of us here will be? Post Treatment Monitoring?

.

Barry
User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 20:01

You could try asking the insurance company if they will exclude from the policy any prostate related claim

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User
Posted 03 Jul 2025 at 17:10
Watchful Waiting is a term with little difference to Active Surveillance so to simplify things it is largely just called AS (Active Surveillance). Been a long time since I heard mention of WW.

For absolute clarity you could contact the proposed insurer who will refer you to their medical team and you could clear with them.

Barry
User
Posted 03 Jul 2025 at 17:14

As Barry suggests, contact the insurer, better to pay a little more than have insurance declined because of a genuine error on you part.

Thanks Chris 

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 07:43

Thank you when he got the results Ithe consultant said that active surveillance  is very different from wait and watch he sent a booklet which explains the difference, it is for those who have other issues and can’t tolerate active surveillance. The many  companies that I have spoken to can only accommodate one of the pre set questions. Thank you for taking time to answer 

 

 

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 07:47

Thank you I have tried asking each company they go away to discuss the problem their team and return with the same answer which is you have to chose one of the pre set options . 

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 09:40

The difference between active surveillance and watchful waiting:

[Active surveillance

This means regular, very close monitoring of the cancer so that the patient can be offered curative treatment if the cancer progresses. This is suitable for most men with low risk prostate cancer. Close monitoring is required, with PSAs, regular MRIs and sometimes repeat biopsies. Treatment (surgery, radiotherapy or brachytherapy) is offered if and when the cancer progresses.

Watchful waiting

This term is used to describe a non-intensive form of follow-up that rarely involves tests and relies more heavily on changes in a patient’s symptoms to identify if treatment is needed. This is a non-curative strategy for patients who have multiple comorbidities or a short life expectancy. Palliative treatment is only advised if the patient develops symptoms from the primary cancer or the metastases.]

https://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/gp-update/watchful-waiting-and-active-surveillance

I suspect that the insurance premium for someone on active surveillance would be much less than someone on watchful waiting.

I'm not a traveller and know nothing about travel insurance. However, because you're on active surveillance, you have been medically assessed as not being in immediate risk of cancer or likely to be in any immediate need of any treatment. Would the insurance company reject a claim for any other  medical issue, because you'd not declared that you were being monitored for prostate cancer?

I'm a bit of a gambler, if the additional premium was extortionate, I'd not declare my inactive PCa. If I then drunkenly fell off of my hotel balcony or was attacked by a shark, I'd hope that they would still pay out.  🙂 

 

Edited by member 04 Jul 2025 at 10:28  | Reason: Add link

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 11:59

Thank you I asked the question and have been told that you have to declare anything that involves attending the go, I also asked in the event of a claim do you check the doctors records and was told yes and that the terminology have to be accurate. Seems like the insurance companies need to update their format 

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 12:43

It's a different insurance issue but apparently there are over 3 million drivers in the UK who have undeclared medical conditions that could invalidate their car insurance. I suppose the only time anyone might ever check their medical records was if they ever killed anyone.

If you type travel insurance in our search box, you'll find several threads on the subject but I don't know whether any will cover the active surveillance issue. 

I can fully understand your frustration in them not giving you the correct option for your treatment and wanting you to declare another which implies your more at risk.

It's easier for them to charge you extra than to modify their application forms.

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 13:11

Thank you after a successful turp the psa has now gone down to 1.76 it begs the question should the prostrate cancer be declared and then excluded if that’s possible . Thank you 

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 13:52

Hi

I would assume that active surveillance is a treatment option so therefore treatment ongoing.

But that is just an assumption. 

Have you tried all clear travel insurance 

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 15:41
Extract from Prostate Cancer UK

'Other terms you might hear

Some people use names such as ‘active monitoring’, ‘deferred therapy’, ‘watch and wait’ and ‘wait and see’ to describe both watchful waiting and active surveillance. These can mean different things to different people, so ask your doctor or nurse to explain exactly what they mean' .

Having researched it, I believe that men on Watchful Weighting can have PSA tests but not usually MRI or DRE and are usually monitored by changes they exhibit. Men on this usually have pretty advanced cancer but may be treated but not with curative expectation. Men on Active Surveillance have more extensive and frequent tests and can be treated with curative intent should treatment be wanted and needed.

A thought here. What is an appropriate term for men that have been treated but are still being monitored as most of us here will be? Post Treatment Monitoring?

.

Barry
User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 15:55

Thank you apparently it’s a management strategy 

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 16:50

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
A thought here. What is an appropriate term for men that have been treated but are still being monitored as most of us here will be? Post Treatment Monitoring? 

 'Fingers crossed Therapy'?

'Suck it and See Surveillance'?

'May be we'll be lucky Monitoring.'?

😬

Edited by member 04 Jul 2025 at 17:52  | Reason: Additional text

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 20:01

You could try asking the insurance company if they will exclude from the policy any prostate related claim

User
Posted 04 Jul 2025 at 21:37

Hi Chris.

I bet the insurance company would still try and find any tenuous cancer link to dismiss any claim. 🙂

In my examples, if I drunkenly fell of my holiday apartment balcony, they'd refused to pay out saying, my drunkeness was due to my heavy reliance on alcohol to cope with the stress of cancer. 🙂

They'd dismiss the shark attack claim, stating sharks can sense cancer like they can blood and by swimming with PCa,  I'd increased the risk of attack as much as if I'd been wearing seal outfit dipped in shark chum. 🙂

As you can probably gather, I have very little faith in most insurances. 🙂

Edited by member 05 Jul 2025 at 06:30  | Reason: Typo

 
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