Question: Can I get Social Security disability for breast cancer?
Answer: Probably not, unless it metastasizes. If it metastasizes, you easily qualify for Social Security disability. Otherwise, you have to prove disability on the basis of the problems caused by treatment for the cancer.
With breast cancer, at best, there will be a period of time while you are disabled by the treatment for breast cancer, which can include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, for Social Security disability purposes, the disability has to have lasted or be predicted to last for at least a year. It is quite rare for the initial treatment for breast cancer to stretch out over more than a year.
The treatment for breast cancer can itself cause permanent disability. The surgery may disrupt lymph flow and cause severe swelling. Radiation therapy can cause neurologic damage. The whole process of having cancer and being treated for it can cause lasting psychiatric problems. Your doctors will try to minimize these problems. Usually, they are quite successful in bringing a woman through brease cancer without significant disabling problems.
If you feel that breast cancer or the treatment you have had for breast cancer is disabling you, we’d be happy to take a look at your case. Contact us today.