Health Insurance That Covers Breast Cancer (Male)

A Buyers Guide To Health Insurance For Breast Cancer (Male)

Posted by Greg Jones on January 24, 2020

If you've searched Google for health insurance that covers breast cancer (male) then you are most likely for looking for established UK based health insurance companies that will cover your breast cancer (male).

Our advice when looking for private medical cover that covers breast cancer (male) is to speak to a health insurance broker. Health insurance is extremely complicated and if you want absolute certainty that breast cancer (male) is covered by your policy you should talk with a medical insurance broker who can explain which policy providers will cover this medical condition and which will not.

There are many advantages to using a broker but the largest by far is that you're using their industry experience 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 services.

  • Do you live in many different areas? Some will give you a cheaper premium than offers. A broker will be able to advise whats best.
  • Do you have a hobby that may invalidate your insurance policy? A broker will know this critical information.
  • If you are a couple and one of you has claimed on your 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 medical condition and want to know which policy provider offers the biggest amount of cover for it. A broker will know this instantly saving you so much time and effort.

You can call around every medical insurance provider on the market and ask if they cover breast cancer (male), 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 much quicker to speak to one medical insurance broker which will know which policy providers on the market cover breast cancer (male) and under what conditions they do or don't cover it.

Breast Cancer (Male) Information

Breast cancer is often thought of as a condition that only affects women, but men can also develop it.

It's much less common in men than women, with only around 1 new case of breast cancer diagnosed for every 100,000 men (about 350 to 400 cases) in the UK each year.

The cancer develops in the small amount of breast tissue men have behind their nipples. The most common symptom is a hard, painless lump in one of the breasts.

However, the vast majority of breast lumps are caused by a condition called gynaecomastia. This is a common non-cancerous condition where male breast tissue becomes enlarged.

Breast cancer in men can also cause nipple problems, such as the nipple turning in on itself (retraction) or nipple discharge.

Read more about the symptoms of male breast cancer

During the coronavirus outbreak the way you recieve treatment and attend appointments is likely to change.

The Association of Breast Surgery has published coronavirus guidance for people with breast cancer (PDF, 455KB)

You should always talk to your GP if you notice a lump in your breast or you have problems affecting your nipples, such as discharge.

While these symptoms are unlikely to be caused by breast cancer, they should be investigated further. 

The cause of male breast cancer is unclear, but factors known to increase your chances of developing the condition include:

Read more about causes of breast cancer in men

In most cases, surgery is used to remove the cancer, along with a section of the breast. This may be followed by a long-term course of hormone-blocking therapy using medication, usually a drug called tamoxifen.

Tamoxifen helps block the effects of hormones known to stimulate the growth of cancerous cells in breast tissue. It should help prevent the cancer returning.