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Although your doctor may feel that you are well enough to travel, you may find it difficult to get travel insurance. This is because some insurance companies think that a person with cancer is more likely to need to make a claim on their insurance. This is not always the case, although if you have advanced cancer you may be more likely to become ill and need to make a claim.

Our travel insurance factsheet has a list of insurance companies who consider insuring cancer patients.

It is advisable to get quotes from a number of companies, as costs may vary considerably. It’s also helpful to read the policy carefully for exclusions and special conditions. Your doctor or specialist nurse can help you to understand the policies and explain any exclusions.

Some companies may have policies that insure you for any health problem, except problems caused by the cancer. You may feel that this option suits you if your cancer is unlikely to cause any problems while you are away. Other people may feel that this is too much of a risk for them to take.

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DISTRAUGHT daughter has spoken of her fears as her mum and terminally ill stepfather remain trapped abroad, facing massive health bills, with no accommodation.

Nicola McNaughton, 28, of Redcar, told how her newly-married mum Linda Malone and her stepdad Andrew, were caught up in the airline lockdown caused by volcanic ash from Iceland.

Gran-of-seven Linda, 48, a diabetic, and Andrew, 45, who is battling terminal mouth cancer which has spread to other parts of his body, decided to take one last holiday together to Benidorm after the turmoil of Andrew’s gruelling treatment.

However, after flying out on Saturday, April 10, the Whinney Banks couple have been left stranded as they flit between Alicante airport, local hospitals and surgeries.

The couple are both running out of vital medication with no choice but to buy what they need from Spanish medics.

Nicola, a beautician, said: “My stepfather is dying of cancer and this is supposed to be his last holiday. He is running out of medication.

“My mum has been crying on the phone. She has run out of medication and when they go to the hospital, they are being told to go to the doctors. They have run out of money and are having to pay for their drugs, which would be free at home.”

Nicola said her mum, Andrew’s full-time carer, and stepdad, a former scaffolder, had looked forward to their holiday, - booked after Andrew’s treatment, which left him in a coma for two weeks.

She said: “Andrew has been through a lot of surgery.

“He is now fed through a tube in his belly because he can’t eat. He’s going to die and they are stuck there. I don’t know what to do. Why can’t they get them home or at least put them up in a hotel?”

Speaking from Alicante airport, Linda, who married Andrew two days after her dad died in November, said: “We are flying with Ryanair and we are just stranded at the airport.

“It’s costing 20 Euros a day just for my husband’s food and 50 Euros for my insulin which will last me a week.

“We’ve been to the hospital and the doctors and they are telling us they won’t give us a prescription. We’ve got our E111 cards but we don’t seem to be getting any help.”

The couple married, despite the loss of Linda’s dad, as they wanted to exchange vows before Andrew had a 12-hour operation on his mouth.

As Andrew continues to run short of medication leaving the couple facing even higher health bills abroad, the pair are hoping their flight back to Durham Tees Valley Airport will go ahead on Thursday.