Travel and prostate cancer

Going on holiday can be a great relax and get away from things. Prostate cancer shouldn’t stop you from travelling, but you may need to plan and make special arrangements such as, getting travel insurance and thinking about how to look after yourself while you’re away.

Download our Travel and prostate cancer fact sheet

Is it safe to travel?

Speak to your doctor or nurse

It’s important to ask your doctor or nurse how travel plans might affect your treatment. They can suggest when’s the best time to travel, where to go, and how long for. They may advise you not to travel, or to delay your trip if it isn’t safe for you. You can also speak to our Specialist Nurses.

Think about how you’re feeling

Cancer or its treatment can make you tired or unwell. Side effects like needing to urinate (wee) more often, being sensitive to the sun, or having a higher risk of infection may affect your plans, including where you go, how long for, what you do, and what you need to take with you.

See our travel timeline for a breakdown of things you may want to do if you’re planning to go away.

Traveling with your medication

If you’re taking medicines with you, you might find these tips helpful.

• Make sure you have enough medicine for your whole trip – and extra in case of delays or emergencies. If possible, carry all your medication in your hand luggage and pack a spare supply in your hold luggage.

• If you need proof that the medicines you are bringing are prescribed to you, you may be able to show your prescription details in the NHS App. But rules can vary so it’s important to check your travel details before you leave. If you need a doctor's letter you will need to ask your doctor for this at least four weeks before you travel. You may have to pay for this. The letter should include your name, your medicines (not just the brand names), what they're for and their doses. It will also have to include when and where you are travelling.

• Check the expiry date of your medicines to make sure they’re safe to take while you are away.

• If your medication is stored in a fridge, contact your pharmacist before you go away. They will be able to advise how best to transport your medication and how to store it when you're away. Make sure you have access to a fridge at your destination. If medicines aren’t kept at the right temperature, they may not work as well and can expire sooner than the date on the label.

• If you need to get a prescribed medicine while away, speak to a pharmacist in the country you are visiting. You may need to visit a local doctor and may need to pay towards the cost of your prescription. If you have a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), you should pay the same as the citizen of the country you are visiting. UK prescriptions can be used in Ireland and Spain. But you cannot use a UK prescription elsewhere in the EU.

• Keep your medicines in their labelled containers and original packaging. If you have prescription medication organised in a pill box, make sure it has a label confirming what is inside. Ask your GP or pharmacist for one if it doesn’t.

Top travel tip - If you need to get some more medicines while you’re away, buy them from a licensed pharmacy. Some places sell medicines that are fake or have different ingredients – these may not work and could even be harmful. Ask the pharmacist about the ingredients and check they match the ones you need.

Controlled drugs

For some medicines, you can only take a certain amount out of the UK. These are called controlled drugs and include some strong pain-relieving drugs. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if your medicine contains a controlled drug.

The limit is usually about a three-month supply. If you need to take more, you must apply for a Home Office export licence at least three weeks before you travel. You can find out more about controlled drugs and how to apply for a licence by calling 020 7035 6330, or by visiting the GOV.UK website. 

Flying with your medicine

• Contact your airline to check if you need to make arrangements before you travel. If you need a letter or licence to travel with your medicine, keep it in your hand luggage with the medicine in its original packaging.

• You may be allowed to use a cooler bag with an ice pack or a cooling gel pack. You’ll need a letter from your doctor or nurse explaining that your medicines need to be kept cool and have discussed it with your pharmacist. Check with your airline before you fly.

• If you pack spare medicines in your suitcase, check if hot or cold temperatures can damage them. Contact your airline in advance to find out if they can store your suitcase at the right temperature and tell check-in staff at the airport too.

Vaccinations

You may need to have vaccinations before you travel, depending on where you’re going. Visit the Travel Health Pro website to check, or ask a practice nurse at your GP surgery at least eight weeks before you go.

Before you book your trip, talk to your doctor about whether it’s safe for you to have any new vaccinations. If you need to take anti-malarial medicine, ask your doctor whether this will affect any other medicines you’re taking.

Your doctor may be able to refer you to a doctor or nurse from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (HTD). They can provide appointments for people who need specialist medical advice about travelling with complex medical conditions, such as cancer. But you would need to pay for any vaccines, medication or travel-related equipment they provide. You can ask your doctor for more information on how to access this service through the NHS.

Chemotherapy and vaccinations

You shouldn’t have any live vaccines if you’re having chemotherapy, or have had chemotherapy within the last six months, as you have a weaker immune system.

A live vaccine is the injection of a weakened form of the live organism. Your immune system is normally able to easily fight the organism and develop antibodies in case you ever catch the disease. But if you’ve had chemotherapy, your immune system is not strong enough to fight the weakened organism, so it could cause a severe infection. The yellow fever vaccine is an example of a live vaccine. Live vaccines are different to ones like the COVID-19, pneumonia and flu vaccines.

Practical things

• Cancer and treatments like chemotherapy, surgery and hormone therapy, can increase your risk of getting a blood clot. You may be advised not to fly for a period of time, so check with your doctor before booking any long flights.

• Carry information about your condition, medicines and treatments in case you need to see a doctor while away.

• Plan ahead for any urinary or bowel problems. For example, book an aisle seat near the toilets and check where public toilets are in advance.

• If you’re travelling to a non-English speaking country, consider having your medical documents translated. Ask your doctor or nurse for more information about this.

• Check the emergency services or ambulance number for the country you’re visiting, as it may be different.

• If you’re travelling to a different time zone, ask your doctor to help you plan a medicine routine that fits the new local time.

• If you need a wheelchair, access to a toilet or a special meal for your journey, arrange this with your airline, cruise line or train company before you travel.

• Make sure you drink plenty of water on your holiday and while flying, especially in hot countries, to avoid dehydration.

• If you have urinary or bowel problems and use pads, pack enough for your trip and a few extra in case of delays.

• Pack extra pads and medicine in your hold luggage in case your hand luggage gets lost.

• If you’ve had permanent seed brachytherapy, you could set off metal or radiation sensors at the airport, train station or cruise port. Ask your doctor for an advice card to take with you that says you’ve had treatment with internal radiation.

• Use our urgent toilet card to help you get to a toilet quickly if you have urinary or bowel problems. Bladder & Bowel offers a free downloadable Just Can’t Wait card that you can save directly to your smartphone to use whenever you need it.

Travel insurance

If you’re travelling abroad, it’s important to think about travel insurance before your trip. Getting the right cover can help you feel more confident, avoid unexpected costs, and enjoy your holiday.

Find out more about Travel Insurance and prostate cancer.

Looking after yourself

While you're on holiday, you should:

• take extra care of your health

• give yourself some time to rest when you need it

• avoid lots of activity or heavy lifting if you’re not used to it

• keep safe in the sun and avoid extreme temperatures

• treat cuts, scratches and bites with antiseptic cream straight away

• wear insect repellent if you’re somewhere where insects are a problem

• always carry someone’s contact details in case of emergency.

Looking after yourself while flying

Help avoid blood clots during your flights by:

• exercising your legs

• wearing loose-fitting clothes that feel comfortable

• avoiding sitting with your legs crossed

• drinking plenty of water or non-alcoholic drinks

• reserving an aisle seat or paying extra for a seat with more leg room if you can afford it

• getting up and walking around every hour, if it is safe to do so

• wearing compression socks (ask your doctor if you’ll need these).

Staying safe in the sun

If you've recently had a type of chemotherapy called docetaxel or had radiotherapy, you may be more sensitive to the sun, so:

• avoid direct sunlight between 11am and 3pm

• use strong sunscreen on all bare skin (SPF50 or above)

• wear loose cotton clothing, a hat and sunglasses.

Tips for avoiding an infection

Certain treatments, such as chemotherapy, can weaken your immune system. This can make it easier for you to get infections. Some countries may not have the same water cleaning processes as in the UK. Drinking water from these countries can increase your risk of developing infections or having an upset stomach. You can take steps to avoid this by:

• drinking clean or sealed bottled water only – boil it first if you’re unsure and avoid ice in drinks

• eating properly cooked food – avoid salads, raw vegetables and street food

• peeling fruits before you eat them.

Top travel tip - If you have a weak immune system, ask your doctor or nurse to give you antibiotics for your trip, in case you pick up an infection.

What should I do if I become unwell on holiday?

If you become unwell while away, it is important to contact a doctor.

• If you need urgent medical help, contact the emergency services or go to the emergency department of the nearest hospital.
• If it is not urgent and you are staying in a hotel or somewhere with a reception, you could ask the receptionist to help call you a doctor.

Make sure you have your emergency contacts to hand, for example, in the back of your passport. This is so the British embassy or consulate in the country you are visiting can help to contact them if they need to.

Your insurance company should provide you with an international number to contact if you become unwell on holiday. You can contact this number so your insurance can help you organise the medical help which is included in your policy.

References and reviewers

Updated: April 2026 | Due for review: April 2029