Listing 13.02 · Cancer (malignant neoplasms)
Soft tissue cancers of the head and neck
To be approved under this listing, a claim must meet all of the criteria below — and the medical records have to prove it.
- A
Documented diagnosis confirmed by biopsy or pathology.
In plain terms: Has a doctor confirmed cancer of the head, neck, mouth, or throat?
Evidence required:Biopsy reportPathology reportTreating physician report - B
Inoperable, unresectable, recurrent after surgery, or with metastases beyond the regional lymph nodes.
In plain terms: Has the cancer spread to other parts of the body, or come back after treatment, or been called inoperable?
Evidence required:Pathology reportCT scanPET scanTreating physician report
Estimate the odds
Historical approval rates for a claim like this — by state, age, and stage.
Approval odds by condition
How claims for this body system fare through the process.
Other cancer (malignant neoplasms) listings
Source: SSA Listing of Impairments (Blue Book), 20 CFR Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1 · Updated 2026-07-31. Criteria paraphrased for readability; see the official SSA text linked above. Not legal or medical advice — whether a specific medical record meets Listing 13.02 is an individualized judgment SSA makes on the evidence.