September is National Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma Awareness month. Currently, there are 1.3 million people in the United States living with or in remission from a hematologic malignancy, or blood cancer. In fact, blood cancers are the third leading cause of cancer death in America, with a new diagnosis being made every 3 minutes.
September has been designated as the month to bring attention to the three most common blood cancers. Leukemia is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood, lymphoma is a cancer that starts in cells that are part of the body’s immune system, and myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells. September is the month to help raise awareness, funds, and support for the many people who are impacted by the disease.
To be approved for Social Security Disability or SSI benefits for any of the above-listed cancers, a claimant first needs to have a physician-confirmed diagnosis as evidenced by extensive blood lab work, urine protein electrophoresis, or bone marrow findings. Functional impairments prevent many with these diagnoses from working.