Cancer, or malignant neoplastic disease, is one of the 14 disability classifications that the Social Security Administration (SSA) acknowledges for benefit consideration. Depending on the type of cancer, as well as the severity and long-term diagnosis, sufferers may even warrant an expedited approval process—known as a compassionate allowance—to ensure benefits are awarded as quickly as possible. Adrenal cancer is one condition that the SSA not only considers viable for disability but, in many cases, also worthy of compassionate allowance.
What Is Adrenal Cancer?
The adrenal glands are located at the very top of each kidney and work to maintain hormone levels in the body. The steroidal hormones these glands secrete—cortisol, aldosterone, androgens—help the body to:
- Stabilize blood sugar and blood pressure
- Properly burn protein and fat
- Maintain metabolic rate
- React to illnesses and injuries
- Control sexual drive and performance
When tumors grow on these glands, they fail to secrete the adequate levels of hormones that your body needs to function. Over time, the fluctuation of hormones can cause serious and even fatal medical issues. In fact, localized adrenal cancer has a five-year fatality rate of 35 percent and regionalized disease has a five-year fatality rate of 56 percent. Distant adrenal cancer, where the cancer is inoperable and has spread to other sites, has an alarming mortality rate of 97 percent.
Symptoms of Adrenal Cancer
Common debilitating symptoms of this form of cancer, which can affect your ability to work, include:
- Increased weight gain—most noticeably above the collar bone and around the abdomen
- Fat deposits behind the neck and shoulders
- Stretch mark scarring or stretch marks with deepening shades of purple on the abdomen
- Hair growth on the face, chest, and back (most noticeably in women)
- Menstrual irregularities
- Leg weakness or muscle loss
- Bruising
- Mood swings, anxiety, or depression
- Weakness in bones (osteoporosis)
- Increased blood sugar or blood pressure
All of the above symptoms, in addition to reactions to surgery and chemotherapy, can have a detrimental effect on your ability to work. Considering these effects, as well as the fatality risks involved with this disease, the SSA understands the rapid need for disability benefits when you become unable to provide for your family. However, understanding the need isn’t the same thing as granting benefits without any questions asked. To receive disability for adrenal cancer, you still must obey the rules and follow the procedures for filing a claim.
Applying for Compassionate Allowance Benefits
Compassionate Allowances (CAL) are ways for the SSA to identify diseases and other medical conditions that qualify under their qualifications quickly, with the need for only minimal information. Although adrenal cancer is recognized by the SSA as being a qualifying condition, to receive benefits you still must be able to prove your condition’s eligibility. However, through CAL, this process is quicker and requires less evidence than with the standard disability claims. That being said, you’ll still need to secure your claim with the following:
- Medical evidence and diagnoses. When collecting evidence for your claim, you must show your eligibility by providing pathology reports confirming the presence of cancer and your long-term prognosis. You may also want to secure a physician's opinion that indicates the cancer is inoperable or unable to be completely removed.
- Proof of severity and long-term prognosis. In addition to showing your condition, you must also be able to show its severity. To be eligible for an expedited review, you must be able to provide evidence that your condition is inoperable, unresectable, or recurrent, with metastases to or beyond the regional lymph nodes.
- A reliable attorney. Securing the guidance and support of a credible disability attorney is one of the best ways to ensure your claim is handled correctly. Furthermore, an attorney can help explain the process in detail so you’ll know what to expect from your claim.
Contact our office today to speak with an experienced and highly dedicated disability attorney. It’s our job to help you get the disability you need—it’s our pleasure to do so while causing you the least amount of stress possible. Call 508-283-5500 to schedule your FREE consultation.
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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