If you've searched the net for private health insurance that covers retinoblastoma children then you are most likely for looking for trusted UK based health insurance providers that can cover retinoblastoma children.
Our advice when looking for private medical insurance that covers retinoblastoma children is to speak to a insurance broker. Health insurance is extremely complex and if you want absolute certainty that retinoblastoma children is covered by your policy you should consult with a broker who can explain which policy providers will cover this medical condition and which will exclude it.
There are many advantages to using a insurance broker but the largest 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 reside in many different areas? 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 critical 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 developed a certain condition and want to know which insurer 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 retinoblastoma children, 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 health insurance broker which will know which policy providers on the market cover retinoblastoma children and under what terms they do or don't cover it.
Retinoblastoma Children Information
Retinoblastoma is an uncommon eye cancer that usually affects children under five, although it can affect children of any age. About 40 to 50 cases of retinoblastoma are diagnosed in the UK each year. Treatment is very effective and nearly all (98 out of 100) children with retinoblastoma are cured.
More children than ever are surviving childhood cancer. There are new and better drugs and treatments, and we can now also work to reduce the after-effects of having had cancer in the past.
It is devastating to hear that your child has cancer, and at times it can feel overwhelming. There are many healthcare professionals and support organisations to help you through this difficult time.
Understanding more about the cancer your child has and the treatments that may be used can often help parents to cope. We hope you find the information here helpful. Your child’s specialist will give you more detailed information and if you have any questions it is important to ask the specialist doctor or nurse who knows your child’s individual situation.
Retinoblastoma develops in the light-sensitive lining of the eye (called the retina).
There are two forms of retinoblastoma:
The heritable form of retinoblastoma, which accounts for about two in every five cases, is caused by a genetic abnormality. This means that an abnormal gene allows the tumour to develop. This abnormal gene may either be inherited from a parent or happen for the first time at an early stage of development in the womb.
Genetic counselling and support is available for families in which a member has retinoblastoma. Not all children of a parent with retinoblastoma will inherit this gene, but children born into families with a history of retinoblastoma are offered blood testing. They are also usually checked (screened) soon after birth for signs of retinoblastoma. This means that treatment can be started early if a tumour does develop.
Screening usually starts shortly after birth and is repeated every few months for five years. An eye specialist examines the eye, while shining a light into it with an ophthalmoscope. In younger children, this may need to be done under a general anaesthetic.
The genetic abnormality in the heritable form of retinoblastoma is now well-understood. But we don’t know what causes non-heritable retinoblastoma.
Some children with a family history of retinoblastoma are picked up by screening before they have any symptoms.
If there’s no family history of retinoblastoma, the first sign of the condition is often a white pupil that does not reflect light (leukocoria). This may be picked up when a picture of your child is taken using flash photography. The pupil of the affected eye may look white in the photograph.
Some children may have a squint or, if the tumour is large, they may have a painful red eye.
Tests are likely to involve an examination under anaesthetic (EUA) where an eye specialist (ophthalmologist) examines your child’s eye while they’re asleep. Unlike nearly all other types of cancer, retinoblastomas can be diagnosed just by their appearance. So it’s not usually necessary to take a sample of tissue (a biopsy). Your child will have several more EUAs to check how treatment is progressing.
When retinoblastoma is diagnosed, your child may have some other tests to check the exact position and size of the tumour, and whether it has begun to spread into surrounding structures. This is known as staging.