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Cancer / Malignancy

Modern U.S. life / SI / mortgage-protection underwriting knowledge — actuarial decision framing for software.

Knowledge priority 9/10 Not legacy dump tree

Actuarial software-knowledge disclaimer: These pages synthesize typical U.S. life / simplified-issue / final-expense / mortgage-protection underwriting logic used industry-wide (2024–2026 field guides, carrier appetites, reinsurance mortality framing). They are not any single carrier’s filed rates, not advice to applicants, and not the legacy 2022 database dump. Use them to design interview schemas and carrier-ruleset APIs.

Actuarial view

Cancer is underwritten on type, stage/grade, treatment end date, recurrence, and surveillance—not a single yes/no. Basal cell is usually ignored; metastatic/active treatment is decline for traditional and SI level.

Primary risk drivers

Site & histology
Stage / grade (TNM, Gleason, etc.)
Date treatment completed
Recurrence / metastasis
Ongoing chemo / immuno / radiation
Age at diagnosis

Life (full / accelerated)

Map drivers → rate class / flat extra / postpone / decline. Labs & Rx history refine.

Mortgage / FE SI

Mortgage SI follows FE-style knockouts: recent/internal cancer → graded or decline level benefit.

Health insurance

Health insurance cares about ongoing oncology cost—not life wait periods. Separate module.

Recommended interview logic (software schema)

Ever diagnosed with cancer or malignant tumor (other than basal cell skin cancer)?

Opens preferred path (subject to other risks)

Basal/squamous skin only

Usually ignore or minor; confirm not melanoma

Yes — internal / melanoma / other

Continue staging & timing

What type / site?

Breast / prostate / thyroid / testis (often favorable after time)

Time + stage driven

Colon / bladder / kidney / lymphoma (variable)

Need stage & years

Lung / pancreas / liver / brain / esophagus / stomach

Often postpone/decline until long remission

Leukemia / myeloma / metastatic any site

Typically decline traditional; GI possible

When did last treatment end?

Ongoing / under 1 year

SI Level usually no; Graded/GI path

1–2 years

Often postpone fully UW; FE graded common

2–5 years

Some SI level by type; fully UW flat extra / postpone

5–10 years

Many carriers Standard possible if localized cured

Over 10 years, no recurrence

Preferred/Standard possible on favorable sites

Any recurrence or metastasis?

Continue time/stage logic

Yes

Decline traditional & most SI level

Typical decision patterns

Profile	Traditional / Express-style	FE / Mortgage SI path
Active treatment / metastatic / Stage IV	DECLINE traditional & SI Level	GI possible
Localized, treatment under 2y	POSTPONE / decline Express	GRADED FE often
Localized, 2–5y	Flat extra / table / some SI	Carrier niche shopping
Localized, 5–10y+ no recurrence	STANDARD possible	SI Level possible
Basal cell only	Preferred path OK	OK

Software implementation note

Store cancer_site, stage_band, treatment_end_date, recurrence_bool. Decision = carrier_ruleset(cancer_profile).