Life Insurance after Kidney Cancer

Kidney cancer is also known as renal cancer or renal cell carcinoma. In recent advances in diagnoses of early detection, surgical procedures and treatment options are allowing more kidney survivors to maintain their normal lifestyles.

Risk Factors of Kidney Cancer

Anyone can develop colon cancer, but it is most common in people over the age of 50. Individuals with a higher risk for colon cancer have these conditions:
• Age: between the ages of 40-60
• Hypertension: individuals with uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Inherited disorders: Von Hipple-Lindau or Wilms’s Tumor
• Obesity
• Treatment for kidney failure
• Tobacco users

Signs and Symptoms of kidney cancer:

• Bleeding or blood in your urine
• Back pain below your ribs that doesn’t go away
• Sporadic fevers
• Weakness or fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss

If you have any of these symptoms, see your physician. Kidney cancer can be detected by routine blood and urine test, CT or MRI and a kidney biopsy.

Treatment will vary depending on the individual’s tumor size and location, stage and grade of the cancer and other personal factors. There are three types of treatment: radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.

What is the stage of cancer?

The most often used grading system is American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM Staging System.

T= the size of the tumor on the kidney
N= the number of lymph nodes
M= the extent of how much it has spread (metastasis)
Stage I: The tumor is limited to the kidney and is smaller than 7 cm with no lymph nodes or spread to other organs.
Stage II: The tumor is limited to the kidney and is larger than 7 cm with no lymph nodes or spread to the other organs.
Stage III: This has many different combinations. The tumor may not have spread to other organs but may have to a lymph node. Or, the tumor might have spread to other organs but not the lymph nodes.
Stage IV: Cancer has spread into other parts of the organs.

What Life Insurance Companies Need to Know

Once you have been treated and are now cancer-free, the insurance companies will want to know the following:
1. When were you diagnosed?
2. Do you have a family history of cancer?
3. How was your cancer treated? (surgery, chemo, radiation?)
4. When did you complete your treatment?
5. What was the stage and grade of your cancer?
6. Have you had any recurrence?
7. Are you a tobacco or alcohol user?
8. Any other health problems?

It is very important that you keep accurate records and have follow-up visits with your doctor.

How will this impact my rating for life insurance after kidney cancer?

Obviously, the more severe your kidney cancer is the more difficult and expensive it will be for your life insurance coverage. The underwriters will review your application in detail, including the stage and size of cancer, the length of time since the last date of treatment and your follow-up with your physician. Most cases, kidney cancer will be postponed for a period of time after your treatment.

Here are the rate classes that you can expect overall:

Stage 0 to stage 1: After a year or two from treatment, then you would qualify for a standard health class with a flat extra fee added on top of your coverage for a period of time.
Stage 2 to stage 3: After five years from treatment, then you would qualify with a standard health class rate with a flat extra fee added on top of your coverage for a period of time.
Stage 4: Your only option would be a graded death benefit policy.

What are flat extras?

A flat extra is an additional cost that the insurance carrier can add to the price of a policy. It is used for individuals with high-risk medical conditions or high-risk activities.
A flat extra can range from $2.50 to $15.00 per thousand. Also, it will last for a certain number of years and then drop off.

Case Study – Wilm’s Tumor
I had never heard of a “Wilm’s Tumor” until one day I received a call from a potential client. A “Wilm’s Tumor” typically occurs in children between the ages of 3 to 5-years-old. This tumor can affect both kidneys, but it’s most common in one kidney. The tumor starts to grow when the fetus develops in the mother’s womb.

My client was a typical healthy 32-year-old male, non-smoker with normal height and weight. He was not on any medications but disclosed to me at the age of 3 he had a “Wilm’s Tumor” removed. He said that he had chemotherapy and only one kidney that functioned. Also, a few years back he had a bowel obstruction but was cleared. He had been cancer-free for over 25 years and had routine health exams.

As a young male, he was concerned about purchasing life insurance after kidney cancer. He had been shopping around and was receiving ridiculous rates from agents or being turned away by some agents. After a medical exam and favorable physician records, his application was approved! We expected him to receive a standard health class rating due to his history of cancer, but he was approved a select health class rating! Needless to say, he was pleased. We were able to secure coverage for his young family and at the best rate possible.

The real key in purchasing life insurance after kidney cancer is working with a high-risk life insurance agent. We know which insurance company is going to look at your history of kidney cancer favorably.

We represent several insurance companies, and we’ll shop your application with the top carriers in the industry. By doing this can we ensure that you will receive the best rate for your life insurance after kidney cancer.