Diagnosed with NUT Carcinoma and unable to work? You may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), as well as expedited handling of your application through the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) Compassionate Allowances program due to the aggressive nature of your condition. Here’s what you need to know about applying for SSDI, Compassionate Allowances, and how the skilled attorneys with Keefe Disability Law can help you get the benefits you need as quickly as possible.
NUT Carcinoma
NUT Carcinoma is a rare and particularly aggressive cancer. Also known as NUT midline carcinoma or Nuclear Protein Testis Carcinoma, this cancer affects the squamous cells that make up the skin and lining of hollow organs, such as the stomach and respiratory tract. Though NUT Carcinoma can develop anywhere in the body, it often forms along midline structures like the head, neck, lungs, or bladder.
Symptoms
NUT Carcinoma forms when the parts of your cells that contain your genes – the chromosomes – break apart and improperly combine with other genes, causing the cells to malfunction and activate the NUT proteins that lead to abnormal squamous cell growth. The symptoms associated with NUT Carcinoma vary depending on the tumor’s location and whether the cancer has metastasized and spread to other parts of the body. However, general symptoms include:
- Pain
- Unintentional weight loss
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Painless lumps
- Nasal congestion or obstruction
Prognosis
Most people are diagnosed when NUT Carcinoma has widely metastasized and is in its advanced stages. As a result, the prognosis is rarely positive. According to the SSA, the average length of survival for NUT Carcinoma patients is just ten months, and the illness has a two-year survival rate of 30 percent.
SSDI Eligibility for NUT Carcinoma
NUT Carcinoma meets the severity and duration requirements for SSDI. While the SSDI application process is notoriously lengthy and complicated, the rapidly-advancing nature of the illness makes getting approved for benefits quickly absolutely vital. Fortunately, the SSA recognizes the devastating impact a NUT Carcinoma diagnosis can have on your ability to participate in substantial gainful activity (SGA). NUT Carcinoma isn’t just included as a qualifying condition in the Blue Book Listing of Impairments; it also entitles SSDI claimants to expedited processing of their application, thanks to the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances program.
Compassionate Allowances
Sometimes it can take months or even years to get approved for SSDI. However, when you have a particularly severe or terminal condition, you don’t have time to wait or waste. Compassionate Allowances are for diseases and other medical conditions that clearly meet the SSA’s rigorous standards for disability. Currently, the SSA recognizes nearly 300 conditions that qualify for the Compassionate Allowances program, including NUT Carcinoma, which was added in August 2022. As a result, applications based on these health problems can be processed much more quickly, typically in a matter of weeks.
Applying for a Compassionate Allowance
You don’t have to do anything special to apply for a Compassionate Allowance. The SSA uses cutting-edge technology to identify and rapidly process qualifying applications. This makes completing your application correctly essential. Even when you have a condition that qualifies for the Compassionate Allowances program, mistakes in your application paperwork or a lack of medical evidence from acceptable medical sources (AMS) can delay your approval for benefits. Don’t risk it. Professional help is available.
Are You Looking for a Social Security Disability Attorney in Boston, MA?
If you are looking to apply for Social Security disability, you need to speak with an experienced Social Security disability lawyer as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Natick Office directly at 888.904.6847 to schedule your free consultation.
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