The PPP - Cervical Cancer

Cervical Cancer

Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is run by Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, the UK’s leading cervical cancer charity. The campaign is all about raising awareness of cervical cancer and cervical screenings, and offering support and information to those who want it.

1 in 3 people with a cervix don’t actually attend cervical screenings (Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, 2019). Everyone must make a personal choice about taking part in these tests, but attending a cervical screening can often prevent cervical cancer, with 99.8% of cases being preventable (Cancer Research UK, 2018).

What is a cervical screening?

A cervical screening is often referred to as a smear test, and is done to check the health of your cervix. If you live within the UK, you should be invited for a screening between the ages of 25 and 64 (NHS, 2019). The idea behind a cervical screening is to check for types of HPV which can cause your cells to change. It’s not testing for cancer, it’s more of a prevention tool to spot the early signs and take action where needed, to prevent any cells from turning into cervical cancer.

It is equally as important for transgender men to attend a cervical screening if they still have a cervix. If you’re a transgender man and are currently registered with your GP as a female, you will also receive invitations for your cervical screening as expected, every few years between the ages of 25 and 64. If you are registered with your GP as a male, you won’t receive an automatic invitation, but all you need to do is ask your GP for an appointment (NHS, 2019). 

Attending a cervical screening can be quite daunting for many people, they really prove beneficial in the long run. The NHS website offers tons of information and support and can explain the steps and what to expect before, during and after a cervical screening. 

HPV Vaccine

Many people may remember having their HPV vaccines in school, but maybe at the time didn’t exactly know what they were for. HPV is a common group of viruses, which can cause things such as cancers of the head and neck and genital cancers, with high risk types of HPV found in more than 99% of cervical cancers (NHS Choices, 2019).

A lot of people will have a type of HPV in their lives, with many types being harmless. With most types, your body will naturally remove HPV and you can carry on as normal, but high risk types may sometimes stick around for a longer period of time, which can result in cervical cancer if not treated.

Like most vaccines, the HPV vaccine doesn’t protect you completely, so attending a screening is still important. 

Access to insurance

Having had a cancer diagnosis can cause uncertainty for some people, and we’re at hand to relieve some of that and offer the support you need when applying for protection insurance.

The focus of the newest episode of the Practical Protection Podcast was cervical cancer. Kathryn is joined by guest Matt Rann where they spoke about some of the common causes of cancer, the types of questions you can expect to see on a protection insurance application and some of the potential outcomes.

If you want to know more about how to arrange protection insurance, take a look at Kathryn’s new Protection Insurance in Practice course here.

Don’t forget to claim your CPD certificate if you have listened to this episode of the podcast for your work: https://practical-protection.co.uk/claim-your-cpd/

Life insurance

Life insurance can potentially be available to you if you have had cervical cancer. The insurers will want to know some quite specific things about your cancer, such as the staging and grading, the treatment you received and if there were any lasting complications. They will also want to know any key dates, such as when you were diagnosed or maybe given the all clear. It’s common for an insurer to request a medical report from your GP, so that they know they have all of the necessary information.

If you had a low stage and grade and a few years have passed, it could be that you’re offered life insurance with normal terms (no price increase). If you had a higher classification of cancer or there has recently been treatment, you might find that the pricing of your policy is increased above the basic rate.

An insurer might decide to postpone your application if not much time has passed, and some insurers might decline the application altogether. The important thing is that this is not all insurers. At Cura, we do as much research as possible into the terms an insurer might offer for your exact situation, to prevent applications being postponed or declined. We also have access to a number of specialist insurers.

Critical illness cover

A critical illness cover application will be quite similar to a life insurance application and insurers will again ask for a medical report from your GP. It’s quite likely that any critical illness cover that you’re offered will come with a cancer exclusion, and possibly a price increase.

Income protection

On top of the things mentioned above, when applying for income protection insurers may also ask how much time you have had off work because of the cancer. Again, if you had a low staging or grading and it was a number of years ago, it can be possible to find cover with normal rates. If your staging and grading was higher, you may see an increased premium and a cancer exclusion.

Case studies

• A woman in her early 30s approached Cura needing life insurance to offer financial security for her partner and child. She had been diagnosed with stage 1b cancer a few years before coming to us, and the cancer had been removed around the same time. She had a further two surgeries to check for any further issues and was all clear both times. She now has a life insurance policy for 39 years, covering her for £250,000 for close to £22 per month.
• A woman in her early 40s needed life insurance to cover her mortgage and support her partner in the event of her death. She had been diagnosed with stage 2b cervical cancer almost 15 years before coming to Cura, and had an operation to remove the tumour. She now has a life insurance policy covering her for £750,000 for a little over £60 per month, for 28 years.

Using a protection adviser can be really beneficial if you have unique circumstances. At Cura our trained and experienced advisers are at hand to help, no matter what your situation is. If you’re not completely sure you need or want protection, we can answer any questions you might have with no obligation.

Resources

Cancer Research UK (2018). Cervical cancer statistics. [online] Cancer Research UK. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/cervical-cancer [Accessed 14 Jan. 2022].

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust. (2019). Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. [online] Available at: https://www.jostrust.org.uk/get-involved/campaign/cervical-cancer-prevention-week [Accessed 14 Jan. 2022].

NHS Choices (2019). Vaccinations. [online] NHS. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/hpv-human-papillomavirus-vaccine/ [Accessed 14 Jan. 2022].

NHS (2019). Overview – Cervical screening. [online] NHS. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/ [Accessed 14 Jan. 2022].