Throughout the world, August 1 is World Lung Cancer Day to raise awareness of the debilitating disease of lung cancer.
World Lung Cancer Day also educates people throughout the world about how to prevent the potentially crippling disease.
Why an Awareness Month for Lung Cancer
As the third most common cancer throughout the world, lung cancer is also the most common form of cancer that causes death.
More than a million new cases develop globally each year, with the disease going through increasingly worse stages. Patients at the later stages of the disease face the greatest risk of death.
The highest rates of lung cancer occur in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Eastern Asia. Several risk factors can lead to the development of lung cancer.
- Smoking
- Secondhand smoke exposure
- Radon gas exposure
- Asbestos exposure
- Family history
- Radiation therapy
World Lung Cancer Month raises awareness about the risk factors that cause the disease.
How Can Someone with Lung Qualify for Social Security Disability Benefits?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) processes disability claims. A team of physicians reviews each claim to determine whether there is enough evidence to approve financial assistance.
The SSA publishes a guide called the Blue Book, which lists each qualifying medical condition for Social Security disability benefits. Lung cancer lists in Section 13.14 of the Blue Book.
However, receiving a diagnosis for lung cancer does not mean you automatically qualify for disability benefits. You also have to meet the severity of symptoms standards that are established by the SSA.
Receiving a diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer gives you less of a chance of approval than if your diagnosis reveals a later stage of the disease.
What If I Don’t Meet the Blue Book Listing for Lung?
If the SSA denies your disability claim for lung cancer, the federal agency can request you to undergo a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment.
An RFC assessment consists of a series of tests that measure your ability to complete your normal job functions. Since lung cancer often triggers breathing difficulties, an RFC assessment for the disease might include several stamina exercises.
The physician overseeing your RFC assessment can decide whether you can continue working or you should stay out of the workforce for the foreseeable future.
How Compassionate Allowance Can Help
Some diseases like lung cancer can develop into life-threatening illnesses that require emergency healthcare intervention. If your lung cancer symptoms have developed into severe symptoms, you might be eligible for the SSA Compassionate Allowance program. This program fast-tracks disability claims to help claimants receive financial assistance much faster.
How Do I Start the Disability Application Process for Lung Cancer?
With the SSA denying a majority of disability claims, you should submit as much convincing medical evidence as possible to support your claim.
The results of diagnostic tests can bolster your claim, as well as the treatments you have completed for lung cancer. You have a limited amount of time to submit a disability claim, which means you need to start the process immediately after learning about your diagnosis.
Working with a Social Security lawyer ensures you meet the deadline for filing a claim. Your attorney also will monitor the progress of your claim to keep it moving through the system.
Schedule a free case evaluation with a Social Security attorney to start the claim filing process.
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