Listing code
13.25
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
Testicles, cancer with metastatic disease progressive or recurrent following initial chemotherapy.
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 13.25. Last synced 2026-05-04.
Where claims under 13.25 usually fail
A frequent failure mode for 13.25 is having testicular cancer but not documenting metastatic disease (the listing needs type, extent, and site of the primary, recurrent, or metastatic lesion). Another pitfall is treating the case as qualifying just because chemotherapy occurred, without medical evidence showing progression or recurrence after the initial chemotherapy. People also sometimes submit imaging or summaries that do not clearly tie the findings to the cancer site and the extent of spread needed to evaluate it under 13.25. Finally, missing pathology details for procedures like biopsy or needle aspiration can leave the medical evidence incomplete.
Medical evidence that strengthens this claim
Medical evidence needs to specify the type, extent, and site of the primary, recurrent, or metastatic lesion. If biopsy or needle aspiration is done, SSA generally needs both the operative note and the pathology report. If those documents cannot be obtained, SSA accepts a summary of hospitalization(s) or other medical reports that include details of the findings at surgery and, when appropriate, the pathological findings. In some situations, SSA may also need evidence about recurrence, persistence, progression of the cancer, the response to therapy, and significant post-therapeutic residuals.
What happens if your records do not meet this listing
If the case does not match 13.25 because metastatic disease or progression or recurrence after initial chemotherapy is not shown, SSA still evaluates cancer using the needed evidence about the type, extent, and site of the lesions, and considers recurrence, persistence, progression, response to therapy, and any significant post-therapeutic residuals when relevant. Even when a specific listing is not met at a first pass, the claim can still proceed through later steps that look at functional limits (residual functional capacity) rather than matching only the diagnosis label. In other words, the approval path can shift from 'listing criteria match' to 'how much the condition limits functioning over time.'
Work activity and the SGA gate for this condition
Before an approval decision, SSA looks at work activity and whether work has been substantial for the period of the claim, while applying the usual work-activity gate for SSDI. For testicular cancer under 13.25, the clinical pattern in the listing title (metastatic disease with progression or recurrence after initial chemotherapy) often involves ongoing treatment and can significantly affect functioning, but the exact impact is assessed based on the medical evidence. For people who get approved, continuing eligibility follows the standard post-entitlement work rules: earnings from work activity after approval can affect eligibility, while trial work and extended eligibility periods apply as they do for other qualifying impairments. The clinical findings that best fit this listing are metastatic spread plus progression or recurrence following initial chemotherapy, supported by evidence of
Listing 13.25 FAQ
Questions that come up repeatedly for testicles, cancer with metastatic disease progressive or recurrent following initial chemotherapy disability claims.