Listing code
13.13
Adult (Part A)
Body system
13.00
Cancer (malignant neoplastic diseases)
Subsections
2
Lettered criteria paths
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Nervous system. (See 13.00K6 .)
Subsection A
Primary central nervous system (CNS; that is brain and spinal cord) cancers, as described in 1,2 or 3: 1. Glioblastoma multiforme, ependymoblastoma, and diffuse intrinsic brain stem gliomas (see 13.00K6a ). 2. Any Grade III or Grade IV CNS cancer (see 13.00K6b ), including astrocytomas, sarcomas, and medulloblastoma and other primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs). 3. Any primary CNS cancer, as described in a or b: a. Metastatic. b. Progressive or recurrent following initial anticancer therapy. OR
- Glioblastoma multiforme, ependymoblastoma, and diffuse intrinsic brain stem gliomas (see 13.00K6a ).
- Any Grade III or Grade IV CNS cancer (see 13.00K6b ), including astrocytomas, sarcomas, and medulloblastoma and other primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs).
- Any primary CNS cancer, as described in a or b:
Subsection B
Primary peripheral nerve or spinal root cancers, as described in 1 or 2: 1. Metastatic. 2. Progressive or recurrent following initial anticancer therapy.
- Metastatic.
- Progressive or recurrent following initial anticancer therapy.
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 13.13. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 13.13 usually fail
One pitfall is trying to qualify based on location alone (brain or spinal cord) without the required cancer type or behavior described in 13.13A or 13.13B. Another pitfall is mixing up the two categories, such as applying a CNS criterion when the cancer is actually a peripheral nerve or spinal root cancer and the evidence does not match 13.13B. A third pitfall is missing the treatment and course detail: 13.13 requires metastatic disease, or cancer that is progressive or recurrent following initial anticancer therapy, for the general primary CNS cancer and for the peripheral nerve or spinal root cancer subsections. A fourth pitfall is submitting evidence that does not identify the type, extent, and site of the lesion, because the cancer evaluation under this body system needs those specifics.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Medical evidence must specify the type, extent, and site of the primary, recurrent, or metastatic lesion. For diagnoses based on biopsy or needle aspiration, the evidence generally needs copies of both the operative note and the pathology report. When those documents cannot be obtained, a summary of hospitalization(s) or other medical reports can be used, but the summary needs 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 and the response to therapy, because 13.13 includes cancers described as progressive or recurrent following initial anticancer therapy.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If the specific 13.13 criteria do not fully match (for example, the cancer type or the required course like metastatic or progressive/recurrent after initial therapy does not line up with 13.13A or 13.13B), the claim is still evaluated using the remaining steps for the overall disability decision. Those steps look at how the cancer and any post-therapeutic residuals affect functioning, not just the diagnosis label. In practice, the decision moves from the listing to the person's functional limitations and residual capacity to do work activities.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For an initial disability claim, work activity after approval rules still matter, and the ability to sustain work while having a nervous system cancer in the 13.13 categories will be considered under the usual rules that apply before an approval decision. After approval, eligibility can continue through the standard work incentives structure used for people who qualify; the process includes a trial work period and an extended period of eligibility for those who remain eligible. The functional limits that align with 13.13 are linked to the cancer being metastatic or progressive/recurrent after initial anticancer therapy in 13.13A and 13.13B, and to the specific CNS cancer categories named in 13.13A.
Listing 13.13 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for nervous system disability claims.