Listing code
13.02
Adult (Part A)
Body system
13.00
Cancer (malignant neoplastic diseases)
Subsections
5
Lettered criteria paths
Step in evaluation
3 of 5
Listing match approves the claim
SSA listing text and criteria
Soft tissue cancer of the head and neck (except salivary glands, 13.08 , and thyroid gland - 13.09 ).
Subsection A
Inoperable or unresectable. OR
Subsection B
Persistent or recurrent disease following initial anticancer therapy, except persistence or recurrence in the true vocal cord. OR
Subsection C
With metastases beyond the regional lymph nodes. OR
Subsection D
Small cell (oat cell) carcinoma. OR
Subsection E
Soft tissue cancers originating in the head and neck treated with multimodal anticancer therapy (see 13.00E3c ). Consider under a disability until at least 18 months from the date of diagnosis. Thereafter, evaluate any residual impairment(s) under the criteria for the affected body system.
Source: SSA Blue Book listing 13.02. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 13.02 usually fail
A frequent problem is that the cancer type and primary site are not clear, even if there is a biopsy; 13.02 requires soft tissue cancer of the head and neck and excludes salivary gland and thyroid cancers. Another failure mode is relying on imaging or general statements without documenting the cancer status in one of the lettered ways, like 'inoperable or unresectable' (A) or 'metastases beyond the regional lymph nodes' (C). Some people also miss the wording around persistence or recurrence after initial anticancer therapy, because 13.02(B) has an exception for persistence or recurrence in the true vocal cord. Finally, for 13.02(E), the timing rule is easy to misunderstand: it requires soft tissue cancers originating in the head and neck treated with multimodal anticancer therapy and generally covers disability consideration until at least 18 months from the date of diagnosis.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Medical evidence needs to specify the type, extent, and site of the primary, recurrent, or metastatic lesion. For procedures like a biopsy or needle aspiration, SSA generally expects both an operative note and a pathology report; if those are unavailable, summaries of hospitalization or other medical reports can be accepted, but they should include surgical and, when appropriate, pathological findings. For meeting 13.02(A) and 13.02(B), evidence should document whether the cancer is inoperable or unresectable and whether it is persistent or recurrent after initial anticancer therapy (with the true vocal cord exception). For 13.02(C), the record should document metastases beyond regional lymph nodes; for 13.02(D), it should identify small cell (oat cell) carcinoma; for 13.02(E), it should show multimodal anticancer therapy for a soft tissue head and neck cancer and include the diagnosis date so the 18-month timing can be applied.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If 13.02(A-E) is not met, SSA moves to later evaluation steps that consider the remaining functional limits after treatment, known as residual impairment(s). The goal is to assess how the cancer and any post-therapy effects affect the ability to do work activities. Even when a person does not meet the exact listing criteria, approval can still happen based on residual functional limits and the overall impact on work capacity.
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
For SSDI, the start of the claim must still satisfy SSA's rules about whether work activity can be done despite the impairment, using the work activity standard applied before and after approval. For 13.02(E), there is a special timing rule: soft tissue cancers originating in the head and neck treated with multimodal anticancer therapy are considered under a disability standard until at least 18 months from the date of diagnosis, and after that point residual impairment(s) are evaluated under the criteria for the affected body system. For cases that fit 13.02(A through D), the listing focuses on cancer status like inoperable or unresectable disease, persistence or recurrence after initial anticancer therapy, metastases beyond regional lymph nodes, or small cell (oat cell) carcinoma, and the evaluation can be decided based on those lettered conditions.
Listing 13.02 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for soft tissue cancer of the head and neck (except salivary glands, 13.08 , and thyroid gland - 13.09 ) disability claims.