Listing code
13.27
Adult (Part A)
Body system
13.00
Cancer (malignant neoplastic diseases)
Subsections
0
No lettered criteria
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Primary site unknown after appropriate search for primary , metastatic carcinoma or sarcoma, except for squamous cell carcinoma confined to the neck nodes.
This listing has no lettered subsections. The diagnosis itself, supported by the medical evidence described in the body-system overview, is what SSA evaluates.
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 13.27. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 13.27 usually fail
One common failure mode is missing the 'appropriate search' context, when the record does not show that a primary site was actually pursued but not found. Another is having a diagnosis of 'unknown primary' without evidence that specifies the type, extent, and site of the lesions or the sites of metastasis used to evaluate 13.27. A third pitfall is relying on incomplete procedural documentation, such as having only one of the operative note or the pathology report for biopsy or needle aspiration. A fourth pitfall is overlooking the exception: 13.27 does not cover squamous cell carcinoma when it is confined to the neck nodes.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Expect medical records that specify the type, extent, and site of the primary, recurrent, or metastatic lesion, with particular focus on the sites of metastasis when the primary cannot be identified. If a biopsy or needle aspiration occurred, SSA generally needs a copy of both the operative note and the pathology report. If those documents cannot be obtained, SSA accepts summaries of hospitalization or other medical reports that include details of the findings at surgery and, when appropriate, pathological findings. Depending on the situation, SSA may also need evidence about recurrence, persistence, progression, response to therapy, and significant post-therapeutic residuals.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
Step 4 and step 5 still matter even if 13.27 is not met. Step 4 compares the current medical impairments to the ability to do past work, and Step 5 considers whether the person can do other work despite the impairments. Residual functional capacity is used to describe what work-related abilities remain, and if 13.27 does not fit, the overall functional limits from the cancer and any treatment effects are still evaluated during these steps.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
At the start of any SSDI claim, SSA looks at whether substantial work activity is being done, and ongoing work can affect eligibility if it shows the ability to perform sustained work activity above SSA's substantial work standard. For people whose cancer is being evaluated under 13.27, the focus is whether the cancer-related impairment is severe enough to prevent sustained work, but no specific SGA dollar figures are provided in the listing information here. For approved claims, eligibility for continued benefits follows the standard trial work period and then the extended period of eligibility rules after the trial work period, applying once an approval has been made.
Listing 13.27 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for primary site unknown after appropriate search for primary , metastatic carcinoma or sarcoma, except for squamous cell carcinoma confined to the neck nodes disability claims.