Over the years the Social Security listing that pertains to cancers has been known as the listing for "Malignant Neoplastic Diseases". This listing is contained in Section 13.00. A few days ago, the SSA made several amendment to this listing and finally renamed it as the "Cancer" listing.
One of the changes of this listing is that it recognizes that treating sources, other than MD's, can provide valid documentation of multimodal therapy. The new rule states: "While an acceptable medical source may provide this evidence, our existing policy allows us to accept evidence from other medical sources to establish the impairment's severity. For example, this evidence may come from sources we do not consider acceptable medical sources, such as oncology nurse practitioners who administer chemotherapy and radiation therapists who deliver radiation treatments."
Also, Section 13.00I.6 was amended to change the definition of the term "progressive cancer". Before, progressive cancer was described as a cancer where "malignancy becomes more extensive after treatment". The new rule states instead: "progressive means the cancer becomes more extensive after treatment; that is, there is evidence that your cancer is growing after you have completed at least half of your planned initial anticancer therapy."
The amendment to the listing also makes amendment to how specific types of cancers are evaluated. Here are some examples:
Primary breast cancer evaluations will under go some changes under the new listing. For example, Secondary lymphedema resulting from anticancer therapy is evaluated under 13.10E if the secondary lymphedema is treated by surgery, but the onset of disability can be earlier that the date of surgery if there is enough evidence to that effect.
Primary peritoneal carcinoma is evaluated under 13.24E for women and 13.15 for men.
Skin cancer listing at section 13.03 was amended to exclude malignant melanoma and directs adjudicators the new section 13.29 to evaluate this cancer.
