Cancer and flying
Some people with cancer or people who are having treatment may be advised to wait before flying. Always get advice from your cancer doctor or specialist nurse if you are thinking of flying anywhere.
Can you fly with cancer?
Some people with cancer may be advised not to fly. This is usually because oxygen levels and air pressures change at high altitudes. You may be advised not to fly if you:
- are breathless
- are anaemic (have a low number of red blood cells)
- have a low number of platelets (cells that help the blood to clot)
- are at risk of increased pressure or swelling in the brain because of a brain tumour
- have recently had surgery to your brain, chest, bowel or eye
- have problems with your ears or sinuses.
Always get advice from your cancer doctor or specialist nurse if you are thinking of flying anywhere. They can advise whether this is safe for you. The Civil Aviation Authority also has information about fitness to fly.
Risk of a blood clot
Flying can increase the risk of developing a blood clot. This could happen on trips where you sit still for long periods of time, such as a long-distance flight.
Cancer and some treatments can also increase your risk of a blood clot. Your doctor can explain this to you.
We have more information about preventing blood clot when you are travelling.
Airport and airline assistance
If you have specific needs, it is important to tell your airline at least 48 hours before your flight. They can arrange for people to help you and for equipment to be available. The help you can get depends on which airport and airline you use.
In the UK and European Union, if you are less mobile, you have the right to free:
- help at arrival points, such as at terminal entrances, train stations, bus terminals and car park
- help to reach the check-in counter and with registration
- help with moving through the airport – this includes getting to toilets
- help getting on and off the plane
- information about your flight in a way you understand
- help moving around on the plane – this includes getting to toilets.
If you need help with eating, using oxygen, taking medication or using the toilet during a flight, another person must accompany you. The airline will try to make sure you sit next to each other, provided you give them at least 48 hours’ notice.
If you use a wheelchair, you cannot take it into the passenger cabin of the plane. Ask the airline to explain what help they can offer instead.
In the UK and European Union, you can travel with up to 2 items of mobility equipment for free on a plane. This equipment could include a wheelchair or walking frame. This does not count as part of your baggage allowance (the maximum amount of luggage you can take on a plane for free).
Contact your airline in advance to:
- explain what equipment you plan to take
- ask if there are any restrictions.
Related pages
Airport security
Before flying, all passengers, baggage and mobility equipment must go through airport security checks. This may include metal detector checks, scans and hand searches. You cannot fly if you refuse to have airport security checks.
The processes for airport security can vary between countries and airports. In general, any security checks should be done sensitively. Security staff are trained to handle sensitive medical issues and to treat passengers with respect.
The following tips may also help make things as easy as possible:
- Carry a card or doctor’s letter that briefly describes your condition. It should also give information about any artificial or false body part (prosthesis), implants or stoma. You may want to show this to security staff as you enter the security area.
- It may also be helpful to carry a doctor’s letter explaining if you need to take medicines, syringes, needles or other medical equipment.
- If you have a stoma, you can bring a travel certificate that explains your situation in different languages. Your stoma care nurse, equipment supplier or delivery company may be able to give you one. It may also be available from a stoma support group.
- Consider wearing a sunflower lanyard if you have a non-visible disability.
- If you wear a wig, you do not usually need to have any extra security checks. But if a security officer wants to check your wig, you can ask them to use a hand scanner. This should mean you do not need to remove it. Very rarely, a security officer may want you to remove the wig. If this happens, you can ask to do this in a private space.
Body scanning at the airport
Sometimes people are randomly chosen to have a body search or a body scan.
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Body scanning
Full-body security scanners are used at some airports. Travellers are chosen at random to have a body scan. Or you may be chosen if you have activated a metal detector.
The purpose of a body scanner is to show whether you have hidden weapons or banned items. But the image also shows if you have a stoma, external prosthesis or an implant, such as a replacement knee or hip. Small metal implants that are sometimes used for radiotherapy are usually not detected by airport scans.
If you are chosen, here are some things to know:
- The scan takes just a few seconds. You have it in the security area, with a member of airport staff present.
- You can ask for a security officer of a specific gender to check your scan on the screen.
- You can ask for a body search instead of a body scan, if you prefer.
After the scan, only you and a security officer see an outline of your body on a small screen. No body features or skin can be seen. You cannot be identified from the image and you do not meet the security officer. Your scan is permanently deleted after a security officer has looked at it.
The policy on body scanning may vary at airports in different countries outside of the UK. If you are travelling to a country where you do not speak the language, you may wish to contact the embassy for that country. They can give you details of their policy on body scanning.
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Body searches
A body search is a thorough hand search. You may be asked to loosen or take off some clothing. If you are asked to have a body search, you can request that the search is done by a security officer of a specific gender.
The body search is done in a private, lockable room. A family member or friend can come with you. You will not be left alone with just 1 security officer.
Flying with a breathing stoma
If you have a tracheostomy or a laryngectomy, you may need to take extra care of your airway during a flight. When you breathe through a stoma, air goes straight into your lungs. It is not warmed or moistened by your mouth and nose. The cooler, drier air can irritate your lungs and make you produce more mucus.
The air is very dry on a plane and can make this worse. Here are some tips to look after your airway when flying:
- Drink plenty of water during the flight and avoid having too much alcohol or caffeine, which can make you dehydrated.
- Ask your doctor or nurse how best to look after your stoma when flying. They may advise you to wear a device over the stoma to warm and moisten the air. This is called a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) or a humidification device. Or they can give you advice about using a stoma cover.
- If you use a stoma cover, you can keep it moist with a small mist spray bottle during the flight.
Contact your airline in advance if you need to use oxygen while you are on the plane. Also check their policy on bringing medical equipment.
A nebuliser is a machine that helps you breathe in medicine as a mist through a mask or mouthpiece. This could help you clear your airway, especially in the dry air on a plane. You could ask your healthcare professional if there are options for hiring or borrowing a portable (lightweight) nebuliser.
It is helpful to remind flight attendants that, in an emergency, air should go to your stoma rather than your nose or mouth. You should also explain this to anyone travelling with you. The National Association of Laryngectomee Clubs can send you a free emergency card or wristband.
About our information
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References
Below is a sample of the sources used in our travel and cancer information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at cancerinformationteam@macmillan.org.uk
GOV.UK. Guidance: Disability and travel abroad. Updated June 2019. Available from www.gov.uk/government/publications/disabled-travellers/disability-and-travel-abroad [accessed January 2023].
GOV.UK. The Green Book: Immunisation against infectious disease. Updated November 2020. Available from www.gov.uk/government/collections/immunisation-against-infectious-disease-the-green-book [accessed January 2023].
National Travel Health Network and Centre. Travel Health Pro. Available from travelhealthpro.org.uk [accessed January 2023].
Travel and International Health Team, Public Health Scotland. Fit for Travel. Available from fitfortravel.nhs.uk [accessed January 2023].
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This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been approved by members of Macmillan’s Centre of Clinical Expertise.
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We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:
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We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.
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