Breast Cancer and Social Security Disability Benefits

Fighting breast cancer takes immense strength. If your diagnosis, surgeries, or aggressive treatments have left you unable to sustain full-time work, Carmichael Law Group is here to secure the federal disability benefits you are owed.

When Does Breast Cancer Qualify for SSDI or SSI?

A breast cancer diagnosis brings an overwhelming wave of change. For many women and men, the aggressive medical intervention required makes continuing to work impossible. To qualify for SSDI, your condition must prevent you from working for a continuous period of at least 12 months.

Under SSA Blue Book Listing 13.10, the Social Security Administration will find a claimant disabled when the breast cancer records demonstrate:

• Locally advanced cancer — inflammatory carcinoma, or cancer of any size with direct extension to the chest wall or skin.
• Metastasis — spread to the supraclavicular or infraclavicular nodes, to 10 or more axillary nodes, or to distant sites such as the bones, lungs, liver, or brain.
• Recurrent carcinoma — cancer that has returned (except local recurrence that remits with therapy).
• Small-cell (oat cell) carcinoma of the breast.
• Secondary lymphedema caused by anticancer therapy and treated with surgery to restore function of an upper extremity (disability considered for at least 12 months from that surgery).

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a rare and highly aggressive form, also qualifies for expedited review under the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances program.

Winning Benefits for Early-Stage Breast Cancer: The Impact of Treatment

Many people diagnosed with Stage I, II, or III breast cancer are completely unable to work, yet their applications are routinely denied because the cancer has not metastasized.

At Carmichael Law Group, we specialize in building cases around the disabling side effects of breast cancer treatment. Using a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment, we show the SSA how the cumulative toll of your care prevents employment:

• Severe lymphedema — painful swelling in the arm or hand following lymph node removal, making lifting, typing, and fine motor tasks impossible.
• Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy — chronic nerve pain, tingling, or loss of sensation in the hands and feet that impairs standing, walking, and manual dexterity.
• Profound fatigue and cognitive issues — debilitating exhaustion from radiation and chemo, paired with “chemo brain,” which compromises focus, memory, and workplace safety.

How Carmichael Law Group Protects Your Future

Navigating the federal disability system while undergoing a mastectomy or reconstructive surgery is exhausting. Our team simplifies the process — working hand in hand with your oncology team to gather the precise pathology reports, treatment records, and functional assessments the SSA demands.

Whether you are filing an initial application or appealing a denial in Alabama, Georgia, or anywhere in the United States, we represent you on a contingency basis. You pay no upfront costs, and we are paid only if we win your case.

 Your focus should be on treatment and recovery—not paperwork and appeals. Contact us today or call (888) 687-6022 to learn how Carmichael Law Group can help with your disability claim.