Listing code
13.24
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
Prostate gland- carcinoma.
Subsection A
Progressive or recurrent (not including biochemical recurrence) despite initial hormonal intervention. (See 13.00K8 .) OR
Subsection B
With visceral metastases (metastases to internal organs). OR
Subsection C
Small-cell (oat cell) carcinoma.
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 13.24. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 13.24 usually fail
A frequent failure mode for 13.24 is stopping at a diagnosis of prostate cancer without medical evidence showing progression or recurrence despite initial hormonal intervention in the way required by subsection A. Another common pitfall is treating biochemical recurrence alone as qualifying, but subsection A explicitly excludes biochemical recurrence. Subsection B requires visceral metastases to internal organs, so metastases to other non-visceral sites without internal-organ involvement does not match the wording. Subsection C requires the specific histology of small-cell (oat cell) carcinoma, so the wrong cell type does not fit.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
For 13.24, SSA generally needs medical evidence that specifies the type, extent, and site of the primary, recurrent, or metastatic lesion. For operative procedures such as a biopsy, SSA generally needs both the operative note and the pathology report. If those documents are not available, SSA can accept summaries of hospitalization or other medical reports that include details of the surgical findings and, when appropriate, the pathological findings. For cases involving recurrence or progression or treatment response, SSA may also need evidence about recurrence, persistence, or progression and how the cancer responded to therapy (as referenced for cancer under 13.00G).
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If subsection A, B, or C is not met for 13.24, the claim can still be evaluated under the remaining steps of the disability process. SSA uses the criteria in a specific listing to a cancer starting at that site, and it also weighs the medical evidence to determine what functional limits remain after treatment, including any significant post-therapeutic residuals. Then SSA considers whether those limits prevent work in a real-world way using the residual functional capacity concept rather than relying only on the cancer label.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
At the start of an SSDI claim, the ability to do substantial work activity can affect whether benefits can be approved right away. For prostate carcinoma under 13.24, the listed patterns (progressive or recurrent disease despite initial hormonal intervention in 13.24A, visceral metastases in 13.24B, or small-cell (oat cell) carcinoma in 13.24C) typically correspond to more serious disease, which often makes sustained work difficult, but the actual decision still depends on the medical evidence of how the cancer and any post-therapeutic residuals affect functioning. If approved, ongoing eligibility follows the standard post-entitlement work rules, including a trial work period and an extended period of eligibility for people who later do work, using SSA's usual framework for continuing eligibility.
Listing 13.24 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for prostate gland- carcinoma disability claims.