Listing code
13.29
Adult (Part A)
Body system
13.00
Cancer (malignant neoplastic diseases)
Subsections
3
Lettered criteria paths
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Malignant melanoma (including skin, ocular, or mucosal melanomas), as described in either A, B, or C:
Subsection A
Recurrent (except an additional primary melanoma at a different site, which is not considered to be recurrent disease) following either 1 or 2: 1. Wide excision (skin melanoma). 2. Enucleation of the eye (ocular melanoma). OR
- Wide excision (skin melanoma).
- Enucleation of the eye (ocular melanoma). OR
Subsection B
With metastases as described in 1, 2, or 3: 1. Metastases to one or more clinically apparent nodes; that is, nodes that are detected by imaging studies (excluding lymphoscintigraphy) or by clinical evaluation (palpable). 2. If the nodes are not clinically apparent, with metastases to four or more nodes. 3. Metastases to adjacent skin (satellite lesions) or distant sites (for example, liver, lung, or brain). OR
- Metastases to one or more clinically apparent nodes; that is, nodes that are detected by imaging studies (excluding lymphoscintigraphy) or by clinical evaluation (palpable).
- If the nodes are not clinically apparent, with metastases to four or more nodes.
- Metastases to adjacent skin (satellite lesions) or distant sites (for example, liver, lung, or brain). OR
Subsection C
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Source: SSA Blue Book listing 13.29. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 13.29 usually fail
One failure mode is submitting evidence that shows a skin melanoma history but not documenting recurrence after the specific surgery named in 13.29 A (wide excision for skin, enucleation for ocular). Another failure mode is claiming metastases without matching the categories in 13.29 B, such as confusing clinically apparent nodes with nodes detected only by lymphoscintigraphy, or not reaching the four-or-more node threshold when nodes are not clinically apparent. A third failure mode is treating a second primary melanoma at a different site as if it counts as 'recurrent disease' under 13.29 A, even though the criteria exclude that situation. A fourth failure mode is missing the right path entirely, for example having mucosal melanoma but not being able to show it fits 13.29 C (which is the mucosal melanoma category).
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
SSA needs medical evidence that specifies the type, extent, and site of the primary, recurrent, or metastatic lesion for cancers evaluated under 13.00, including 13.29. For procedures like a biopsy or needle aspiration, SSA generally needs both the operative note and the pathology report, and when those documents cannot be obtained, SSA accepts summaries of hospitalization or other medical reports that include details of surgical findings and, when appropriate, pathological findings. For 13.29 A and B specifically, the documentation should connect the recurrence or metastases to the patterns described, including: wide excision versus enucleation in 13.29 A; clinically apparent nodes detected by imaging studies (excluding lymphoscintigraphy) or by clinical evaluation (palpable) in 13.29 B1; the 'four or more nodes' threshold when nodes are not clinically apparent in 13.29 B2; and the presence of satellite lesions/adjacent skin or distant sites such as liver, lung, or brain in 13.29 B3. When relevant, evidence about recurrence, persistence, or progression of the cancer, response to the
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If 13.29 is not met under Subsection A or B (recurrent disease after the specified procedures, or metastases matching the exact patterns), SSA moves on to consider what the cancer and any post-therapeutic residuals do to functioning. The medical-vocational assessment uses the remaining functional limitations described through the residuals and the overall severity, rather than the melanoma diagnosis alone. Steps 4 and 5 focus on residual functional capacity and work-related limits, which is why many claims that miss a specific cancer listing still may be decided later based on the combined effect of the condition on ability to do work.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
At the start of an SSDI claim, work activity is evaluated under the substantial gainful activity (SGA) rules, and later periods can depend on how that work relates to the medical severity described for malignant melanoma under 13.29. After an approval decision, work is again reviewed under SSA rules for continuing eligibility. The clinical criteria in 13.29 center on recurrence after wide excision or enucleation (13.29 A), or metastases to clinically apparent nodes, four or more nodes when not clinically apparent, or satellite lesions/adjacent skin or distant sites (13.29 B), or mucosal melanoma (13.29 C). The seriousness of those recurrence or metastatic patterns is typically the kind of limitation that affects whether sustained work is realistic, but SGA rules still govern whether work activity counts as SGA before and after eligibility decisions.
Listing 13.29 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for malignant melanoma (including skin, ocular, or mucosal melanomas), disability claims.