Listing code
113.03
Children (Part B)
Body system
113.00
Cancer (malignant neoplastic diseases, children)
Subsections
2
Lettered criteria paths
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Malignant solid tumors Consider under a disability:
Subsection A
For 24 months from the date of initial diagnosis. Thereafter, evaluate any residual impairment(s) under the criteria for the affected body system. OR
Subsection B
For 24 months from the date of recurrence of active disease. Thereafter, evaluate any residual impairment(s) under the criteria for the affected body system..
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 113.03. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 113.03 usually fail
One pitfall is mixing up the start date: Subsection A uses the initial diagnosis date, while Subsection B uses the date of recurrence of active disease. Another pitfall is assuming the listing covers symptoms forever; the 24 month time limit means that after that period, any residual impairment(s) are evaluated under the criteria for the affected body system. A third pitfall is missing the "active" element for recurrence under Subsection B, since the wording specifically says recurrence of active disease. A fourth pitfall is failing to support the underlying cancer facts (type, extent, and site), since SSA needs medical evidence that specifies the primary, recurrent, or metastatic lesion details.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
SSA needs medical evidence specifying the type, extent, and site of the primary, recurrent, or metastatic lesion. When surgery-related procedures are involved, SSA generally needs both a copy of the operative note and the pathology report (for procedures including a biopsy or a needle aspiration). If those documents cannot be obtained, summaries of hospitalization(s) or other medical reports can be accepted, and these should include details of the findings at surgery and, whenever appropriate, the pathological findings. In some situations, additional evidence may be needed about recurrence, persistence, or progression of the cancer, the response to therapy, and any significant residuals, because after the first 24 months SSA evaluates residual impairment(s) under the criteria for the affected body system.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
Step 4 and Step 5 work around whether the child has disabling impairments beyond the 24 month window covered by 113.03. After the 24 months from initial diagnosis (Subsection A) or 24 months from recurrence of active disease (Subsection B), SSA evaluates any residual impairment(s) under the criteria for the affected body system. If the disabling medical criteria under 113.03 are not met, the claim can still be evaluated under other relevant medical criteria based on what residual impairments remain.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For children under 18 (Part B), SSA applies the medical criteria in 113.03 for 24 months from initial diagnosis (Subsection A) or 24 months from the recurrence of active disease (Subsection B). Because the listing is time-limited to those two qualifying periods, work activity rules that apply to adults are not the focus for establishing whether 113.03 applies. After the 24 month period, the key issue becomes what residual impairment(s) exist and how they meet the criteria for the affected body system. The clinical details that matter for that later stage include type, extent, and site of the lesion and any significant residuals.
Listing 113.03 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for malignant solid tumors consider under a disability disability claims.