“The most significant benefit from CIS coverage in the current critical illness market comes from both breast and bladder CIS.

“Generally speaking, there are two main subtypes of carcinoma in situ of the breast; ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). DCIS is over nine times more common than LCIS in the UK. Most current policies cover all forms of breast CIS, as long as surgery is used to remove the tumour. This would cover the vast majority of cases.

“Due to the aggressive nature of CIS of the bladder, a significant proportion of patients end up with the cancer spreading into the surrounding muscle. Therefore, most insurers have a separate, specific wording for this condition to ensure appropriate coverage.

“There are two other forms of less severe, or premalignant cancers, that appear in policies and are of significance; lower risk prostate cancer, and ovarian tumour of borderline malignancy.

“In prostate cancer, the Gleason score is the historically used grading system and ranges from six to 10. With six, the cells look very similar to normal prostatic tissue and are likely to grow very slowly, if at all. This can be compared to a score of 10, where the cells look very abnormal and will likely spread very quickly.

“A Gleason score of 6, will qualify for a lesser payment (with anything above covered in the main cancer definition), however many insurers require certain treatments. The majority of these low risk cases will only require monitoring, so this type of stipulation would make a successful claim much less likely.

“Ovarian tumours generally grow slowly, but can potentially spread to other parts of the body if not treated. Insurers will cover this condition as long as the ovary is surgically removed (oophorectomy). This is the main form of treatment, although for many women it may also involve the removal of the other ovary, fallopian tubes, and the womb in addition.”

Leading a healthier lifestyle will undoubtedly reduce a person's risk of contracting many different cancers. Attending screenings when invited will also help catch cancers at earlier stages when the condition is more treatable. For those that do receive a positive diagnosis, critical illness plans offer fantastic financial protection especially for stage one to four cancers.

Adam Higgs is head of research at Protection Guru