Listing 13.00 in 2026: How Social Security Decides Cancer Claims Under 13.02 Through 13.30, Why the Three-Year Remission Rule and the Distant Metastases Test Decide Most Cases, and the Treatment Side Effects That Win Without Meeting a Listing

Published June 18, 2026 by Anthony Albert, Benefits Research Director, Disability Exchange. Sources cited from SSA Blue Book Listing 13.00, 20 CFR 404.1525 and 404.1526, POMS DI 23022 series, POMS DI 34121.013, and POMS DI 33526.065.

Cancer claims are different from almost every other disability claim Social Security touches. The medical evidence is usually clean, the diagnosis is usually undisputed, and the path to approval almost always runs through one of the malignant neoplastic disease listings in Section 13.00. If your tumor type, stage, and treatment history line up with the exact language in the listing, you win at Step 3. If they don't, your file drops back into Step 4 and Step 5 and you have to prove a residual functional capacity that rules out work. Those two outcomes are not close in terms of speed or certainty.

This is the deep dive. We're going to walk through what Section 13.00 actually requires in 2026, why the distant metastases test handles most automatic approvals, how the three-year remission clock works after you've met a listing, and what to do when your cancer doesn't meet the textbook criteria but the treatment side effects are knocking you flat. We'll cover the seven or eight specific listings that show up in the majority of cancer files, the documentation SSA expects, and the worked example of a real claim path so you can see how the pieces fit together.

What Section 13.00 covers and how SSA reads it

The malignant neoplastic disease listings sit in Part A of the adult Listing of Impairments at 20 CFR Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1. They were last fully revised in 2015 and have been updated piecewise since. The official intro section, 13.00B, tells SSA decision makers to weigh four basic factors on every cancer claim: origin of the malignancy, extent of involvement, duration and frequency and response to antineoplastic therapy, and effects of any post-therapeutic residuals. These aren't suggestions. They are the lens through which every single listing inside Section 13.00 gets applied.

Section 13.00 is structured as a long list of site-specific listings, from 13.02 (soft tissue tumors of the head and neck) all the way through 13.30 (peritoneal mesothelioma). Each listing names a tumor site and then lays out the exact medical findings that prove disability without further argument. There are also umbrella rules, like 13.28 for cancers treated by bone marrow or stem cell transplantation, that cut across multiple sites.

The reason Section 13.00 matters so much is that meeting a listing is a binary decision. If the listing language is satisfied, you skip the residual functional capacity analysis entirely. There's no debate about whether you can do your past relevant work, no vocational expert testimony, no grid rules. The case is approved at Step 3. This is why cancer claims, when properly documented, often move faster than musculoskeletal or mental health claims that have to grind through Steps 4 and 5.

The distant metastases test that wins most cases

If you read Section 13.00 cover to cover, you'll notice the same phrase showing up in almost every site-specific listing: "metastases beyond the regional lymph nodes" or "distant metastases." That phrase is doing real work. It signals that SSA already considers distant spread to be listing-level disability for almost every solid tumor. Listing 13.00K explicitly tells adjudicators that longitudinal evidence usually isn't needed for tumors that have metastasized beyond the regional nodes, because those tumors typically already meet the criteria.

Here's how that plays out in practice. Take breast cancer under Listing 13.10. The listing has three paths. Path A is locally advanced carcinoma, which includes inflammatory carcinoma, a tumor of any size with direct extension to the chest wall or skin, or a tumor of any size with metastases to the ipsilateral internal mammary nodes. Path B is carcinoma with metastases to the supraclavicular or infraclavicular nodes, to 10 or more axillary nodes, or with distant metastases. Path C is recurrent carcinoma except local recurrence that remits with antineoplastic therapy.

Notice the pattern. Stage IV breast cancer with distant metastases drops straight into 13.10B. A patient with 12 positive axillary nodes after dissection drops into 13.10B. A patient with biopsy-proven inflammatory carcinoma drops into 13.10A. A patient who finished chemo for early-stage breast cancer and then had a chest wall recurrence two years later drops into 13.10C. None of these need a long discussion of work history or daily activities. The pathology report and the staging study do all the lifting.

Now contrast that with a Stage I or Stage II breast cancer claim where the tumor was caught early, the surgery had clean margins, and the treatment plan is finishing on schedule. That claim usually does not meet Listing 13.10 on its own terms. The adjudicator will look at the durational requirement (more on this below), the treatment side effects, and any residuals like lymphedema or chemo-induced neuropathy. The path to approval here runs through residual functional capacity, not through the listing itself.

The durational rule for cancers that don't have distant spread

Several listings inside Section 13.00 don't require distant metastases. Instead, they grant disability for a fixed window of time based on diagnosis date or treatment date. This is where Listing 13.00K really earns its keep. Examples:

• Listing 13.02E (head and neck soft tissue tumors). If the cancer is treated with multimodal antineoplastic therapy, SSA considers you disabled until at least 18 months from the date of diagnosis.
• Listing 13.11D (skeletal system, bone sarcoma). All other tumors originating in bone with multimodal antineoplastic therapy. Disability runs for 12 months from the date of diagnosis.
• Listing 13.14C (superior sulcus or Pancoast tumors). Multimodal therapy. Disabled until at least 18 months from diagnosis.
• Listing 13.28A (allogeneic bone marrow or stem cell transplantation). Disabled for at least 12 months from the date of transplantation.
• Listing 13.28B (autologous transplantation). Disabled for at least 12 months from the date of transplantation.
• Listing 13.06A (acute leukemia). Disabled until at least 24 months from the date of diagnosis or relapse, or 12 months from a stem cell transplant, whichever is later.

After the fixed window closes, SSA doesn't just terminate benefits. The case rolls into the residual evaluation in 13.00G. Adjudicators look at the leftover damage from the cancer itself and from the treatment. Chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy, cardiomyopathy from anthracyclines, radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, cognitive impairment, severe fatigue, persistent anemia or thrombocytopenia. If any of those residuals are severe enough to prevent gainful work, the case stays approved under the relevant body system listing or under a residual functional capacity finding.

The three-year remission clock

Once a cancer claim is approved under Section 13.00, the question becomes how long does the approval hold. This is where 13.00H1 lays down a clean rule. When a listing doesn't specify a durational period, SSA considers the impairment disabling until at least 3 years after complete remission. Complete remission means no evidence of the original tumor or a recurrence and no metastases for that three-year window. After three clean years, the listing-level finding ends and any continuing disability has to be supported by residuals.

The continuing disability review process for cancer claims is its own animal. SSA typically schedules a medical CDR three years after the initial approval for a Section 13.00 case. The CDR examiner pulls oncology records, imaging studies, and treatment notes from that three-year window. If the file shows clean scans, no recurrence, and a return to normal hematologic and functional status, the case can be ceased under the medical improvement standard at 20 CFR 404.1594. If the file shows residuals that still keep you from working, benefits continue, but the basis shifts from the Section 13.00 listing to whatever body system the residuals fall under.

There's a separate path for recurrence. If the cancer comes back during or after the three-year window, the case can meet or equal a listing again. Hodgkin lymphoma is treated differently here. Under 13.00K1, Hodgkin disease that recurs more than 12 months after completing initial therapy is treated as a new disease rather than a recurrence. That matters for staging, for treatment planning, and for how the disability claim is framed.

The four most common Section 13.00 wins

Across actual approvals, four listing paths show up over and over in real cancer files. Knowing what each one demands lets you spot whether your case has a clean Step 3 win or whether you need to build a residual case.

1. Listing 13.05 lymphoma

Listing 13.05 covers both non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphomas, but excludes T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma which is handled under 13.06. Path A1 covers aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, that is persistent or recurrent following initial antineoplastic therapy. Path A2 covers indolent lymphoma like mycosis fungoides or follicular small cleaved cell that requires initiation of more than one antineoplastic treatment regimen within a consecutive 12-month period. Path B covers Hodgkin disease with failure to achieve clinically complete remission or recurrent disease within 12 months of completing initial therapy. Path C covers any lymphoma treated with bone marrow or stem cell transplantation, disabled for at least 12 months from the date of transplant. Path D was added in later revisions for mantle cell lymphoma.

If you have aggressive lymphoma and your first-line treatment didn't put you into complete remission, you're looking at Path A1. That's a strong listing match. If you have indolent lymphoma and your oncologist had to switch you to a second regimen within a year, you're looking at Path A2 with disability dated to the start of the failed regimen.

2. Listing 13.06 leukemia

Listing 13.06A is acute leukemia and includes T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma. Disability runs until at least 24 months from the date of diagnosis or relapse, or 12 months from a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, whichever is later. After that, the residual evaluation kicks in. Listing 13.06B covers chronic myelogenous leukemia. The accelerated or blast phase grants disability until at least 24 months from diagnosis or relapse, or 12 months post-transplant. Chronic phase CML grants disability for at least 12 months from a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, or for progressive disease following initial antineoplastic therapy. Acute leukemia is documented through definitive bone marrow examination. Recurrent disease has to be shown through peripheral blood, bone marrow, cerebrospinal fluid examination, or testicular biopsy.

3. Listing 13.14 lung cancer

Listing 13.14A covers non-small-cell carcinoma that is inoperable, unresectable, recurrent, or that has metastatic disease to or beyond the hilar nodes. That covers most Stage IIIB and Stage IV non-small-cell lung cancer cases. Listing 13.14B is small-cell or oat cell carcinoma. The diagnosis itself meets the listing. There's no further staging requirement because small-cell lung cancer is treated as listing-level disease at diagnosis. Listing 13.14C is the Pancoast tumor path with the 18-month durational rule.

4. Listing 13.10 breast cancer

We covered the breast cancer pathways above. The volume of breast cancer claims means 13.10 sees more applications than almost any other site-specific listing in Section 13.00. Bilateral primary breast cancer, whether synchronous or metachronous, is evaluated under 13.10 according to 13.00K4.

How SSA reads the pathology report and staging studies

The evidence SSA wants for a Section 13.00 case is pretty specific. POMS DI 23022 series and 13.00C tell adjudicators to look for the operative note, the pathology report, and any biopsy reports. SSA wants details on the type of tumor, the extent, the primary site, and any metastatic involvement. For tumors with distant metastases, longitudinal evidence usually isn't required because the prognosis itself is severe enough to meet a listing. For tumors without distant metastases, SSA wants treatment records covering the response to therapy and any significant residuals.

One specific point on biopsy evidence. When SSA refers to surgery as antineoplastic treatment, that means surgical excision for treatment, not surgery for diagnostic purposes only. A biopsy that confirms a Stage I tumor is not by itself antineoplastic therapy. The treatment is whatever happens after the diagnosis, whether that's chemo, radiation, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, or surgical resection.

For solid tumors, SSA wants imaging that shows the extent of involvement. CT scans, PET scans, MRI, bone scans. The radiology report becomes critical because it documents whether the tumor is local, regional, or distant. For hematologic cancers, SSA wants bone marrow biopsy results, peripheral blood findings, and any cytogenetic or molecular studies. For chronic lymphocytic leukemia specifically, the diagnosis has to be documented by chronic lymphocytosis of at least 10,000 per cubic millimeter for at least 3 months, or by other acceptable diagnostic methods.

The Compassionate Allowance overlay

About 80 cancers are on the Compassionate Allowance list. The CAL program runs alongside Section 13.00 but isn't part of it. CAL gets your file fast-tracked at the initial level, often with approvals coming back in 2 to 4 weeks instead of the normal 5 to 7 month wait. CAL approvals still have to clear a Section 13.00 listing or medically equal one. The fast-tracking doesn't lower the medical bar. It just gets eyes on the file faster.

Common cancers on the 2026 CAL list include glioblastoma multiforme, acute myeloid leukemia in adults, cholangiocarcinoma, esophageal cancer, gallbladder cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, mesothelioma, pancreatic cancer, primary central nervous system lymphoma, small-cell lung cancer, and stage IV breast cancer. If your diagnosis matches a CAL condition, the application itself should flag the CAL code so the file gets routed correctly. POMS DI 23022.025 lists the CAL handling procedures.

When the cancer doesn't meet a listing

Plenty of cancer claims don't meet Section 13.00 on the day of diagnosis. Early-stage breast cancer with clean margins. Stage I melanoma. Localized prostate cancer treated with surgery. Papillary thyroid cancer. Stage I non-small-cell lung cancer treated with lobectomy. These claims have to go through the residual analysis at Steps 4 and 5.

Treatment side effects are where these cases get won. Listing 13.00G specifically directs adjudicators to weigh the effects of antineoplastic therapy and post-therapeutic residuals. Chemotherapy side effects that knock claimants out include peripheral neuropathy, cognitive impairment ("chemo brain"), severe fatigue, persistent nausea or vomiting, cardiomyopathy from anthracyclines, pulmonary toxicity from bleomycin, and immunosuppression that causes frequent infections. Radiation side effects include radiation pneumonitis, radiation enteritis, lymphedema, fibrosis at the radiation site, and secondary malignancies.

Hormonal therapy in breast cancer or prostate cancer carries its own residual profile. Aromatase inhibitors cause joint pain, osteoporosis, and cognitive symptoms that can rise to listing level when documented properly. Androgen deprivation therapy causes fatigue, hot flashes, depression, cognitive impairment, and metabolic syndrome. These residuals can support a finding that the claimant can't sustain even sedentary work.

The worked example

State-by-state notes

Cancer claims are processed at the state DDS level for initial and reconsideration determinations. Allowance rates vary by state. Some DDS offices have specialty medical consultants who handle oncology cases, which tends to speed up the file. If you're filing in a state with a known backlog, request that your file be flagged for the CAL screen during the initial review. See state-specific guides for California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Related deep dives

• Compassionate Allowances list 2026
• Social Security Disability for cancer
• Listing 4.02 chronic heart failure deep dive
• Quick Disability Determination model
• Closed period disability under SSDI

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