If you've searched the net for private medical insurance that covers carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid tumours then you are most likely for looking for trusted UK based health insurance providers that can cover your carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid tumours.
Our advice when shopping around for private medical cover that covers carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid tumours is to speak to a health insurance broker. Health insurance is extremely complex and if you want complete certainty that carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid tumours is covered you should talk with a health insurance broker who can explain which policy providers will cover this medical condition and which will exclude it.
There are many advantages to using a broker but the biggest by far is that you're using their expertise at no cost. They are paid by the insurer (Aviva or Bupa etc) rather than by you so it costs you no extra to use their brokering services.
- Do you live in many different postcodes? Some will give you a lower premium than offers. A broker will be able to advise whats best.
- Do you have a hobby that may invalidate your insurance claim? A broker will know this vital information.
- If you are a couple and one of you has claimed on your insurance policy this year would it be cheaper to separate you both onto two different insurance policies?
- You've lean't you're at risk of developing a certain condition and want to know which policy provider offers the biggest amount of cover for it. A broker will know this instantly saving you huge amounts of time and effort.
You can call around every medical insurance provider you can find and ask if they cover carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid tumours, however this will be a very time consuming process. Each insurer will ask for your medical history because its not normally a simple yes or not if a medical condition is covered or not.
Its far far quicker to speak to one medical insurance broker which will know which policy providers on the market cover carcinoid syndrome and carcinoid tumours and under what conditions they do or don't cover it.
Carcinoid Syndrome And Carcinoid Tumours Information
A carcinoid tumour is a rare cancer of the neuroendocrine system – the body system that produces hormones.
The tumour usually grows in the bowels or appendix, but it can also be found in the stomach, pancreas, lung, breast, kidney, ovaries or testicles. It tends to grow very slowly.
"Carcinoid syndrome" is the collection of symptoms some people get when a carcinoid tumour – usually one that has spread to the liver – releases hormones such as serotonin into the bloodstream.
About 1,200 people are diagnosed with a carcinoid tumour each year in the UK, but it's thought that less than 1 in 10 of them will have carcinoid syndrome.
In the early stages of having a carcinoid tumour, you may not have any symptoms. You may also not have symptoms if the tumour is just in your digestive system, as any hormones it produces will be broken down by your liver.
If symptoms do develop, they tend to be fairly general and can be easily mistaken for signs of other illnesses.
Symptoms may result from both the tumour itself and from any hormones it releases into the bloodstream.
Symptoms will depend on where in the body the tumour develops:
Some tumours may not cause any symptoms and are discovered by chance. For example, an appendix carcinoid tumour may only be found when the appendix is being removed for another reason.
Typical symptoms of carcinoid syndrome include:
These symptoms may come on unexpectedly, as the hormones can be produced by the tumour at any time.
Some people may also develop carcinoid heart disease, where the heart valves thicken and stop working properly. There is also a risk of developing a rare but serious reaction called a carcinoid crisis, which involves severe flushing, breathlessness and a drop in blood pressure.
It's not known exactly why carcinoid tumours develop, but it's thought that most occur by chance.
Your chances of developing a carcinoid tumour may be increased if you have:
You can read more about the possible risk factors for carcinoid tumours on the Cancer Research UK website.