Listing code
13.03
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
Skin.
Subsection A
Sarcoma or carcinoma with metastases to or beyond the regional lymph nodes. OR
Subsection B
Carcinoma invading deep extradermal structures (for example, skeletal muscle, cartilage, or bone).
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 13.03. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 13.03 usually fail
Many people miss 13.03 by focusing on the skin tumor alone without evidence of metastases to or beyond the regional lymph nodes for the sarcoma or carcinoma pattern in subsection A. Another failure mode is using a diagnosis of carcinoma without showing invasion into deep extradermal structures such as skeletal muscle, cartilage, or bone for subsection B. Some claims bundle "any spread" together, but 13.03 is anchored to metastases to or beyond the regional lymph nodes, not spread to an unspecified location. Another pitfall is relying on records that do not specify the type, extent, and site of the primary, recurrent, or metastatic lesion when SSA requires those details to evaluate cancer under a specific site listing.
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 skin cancer under 13.03. For operative procedures such as a biopsy or needle aspiration, the usual evidence is a copy of both the operative note and the pathology report. When those documents cannot be obtained, summaries of hospitalization(s) or other medical reports can be accepted, and they should include details of surgical findings and, whenever appropriate, pathological findings. If recurrence, persistence, progression, therapy response, or significant post-therapeutic residual effects matter in the situation, SSA may also need longitudinal evidence for those aspects, especially for cancer with distant metastases.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If the exact subsection A or B criteria in 13.03 are not met, the claim can still be evaluated under the remaining steps of the disability process. Step 4 is about whether the person can do past relevant work, based on the functional limits supported by medical evidence. Step 5 considers whether work is possible given those functional limits, and the decision uses medical evidence to determine the residual functional capacity (RFC) when the listing criteria are not satisfied. In many cases, being close to a listing is not enough by itself if the required extent of spread or deep invasion is not documented, but functional evidence can still matter.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
SSDI claims generally start with the work-activity gate: if substantial gainful activity is happening, the claim may be denied regardless of diagnosis. For people approved for benefits based on meeting 13.03 (for example, skin sarcoma or carcinoma with metastases to or beyond the regional lymph nodes, or carcinoma invading deep extradermal structures like skeletal muscle, cartilage, or bone), benefits are then paid under the usual SSDI rules. After approval, work activity can still be an issue during trial work and continued eligibility rules, and these rules apply once benefits are awarded.
Listing 13.03 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for skin disability claims.