Following Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis, an expert and trained physician has issued a bleak prognosis. Following his successor, Donald Trump’s, inauguration in January, former President Biden mostly retreated from the public eye. Forced to deal with widespread conjecture about his health and cognitive abilities, Biden could have been forgiven for wanting some quiet time after four years in the White House.
However, a statement from his office yesterday (Sunday, May 18) revealed that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive malignancy that has spread to his bones. He reported urinary discomfort on Friday, and physicians discovered a tiny lump on his prostate. “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” Biden’s office stated in a statement on Sunday.
“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, with a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) and bone metastasis.” While this is a more aggressive type of the disease, the cancer looks to be hormone-sensitive, allowing for efficient care. Former colleagues and political opponents promptly expressed their support for the 82-year-old former President. Though he has always been quick to mock and verbally abuse Biden, President Donald Trump stated in a tweet on his social media platform Truth Social that he and Melania Trump were “saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis.”
The president went on to say, “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and her family. We wish Joe a quick and successful recovery. Needless to say, Biden’s diagnosis has made global headlines. As a result, doctors and specialists from around the world have taken notice. Dr. Howie Forman, a Yale professor of radiology and biomedical imaging, public health management, and economics, stated on X that it was “inconceivable” that Biden’s prostate cancer had not been detected earlier.
“It is incomprehensible that this was not being done before he left the presidency. Gleason grade 9 patients will have had increased PSA levels for some time before being diagnosed. And he must have taken PSA tests several times before. This is unusual. Forman added, “I wish him well and hope he has the opportunity to maximize his quality of life.”
In a subsequent tweet, Forman questioned whether Biden “really never had a screening these past dozen years” or if he “had a normal PSA prior to [the age of] 70.” He went on: “It’s just so odd to discover this with bone Mets in a man of his stature and access to care.” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News’ senior medical commentator, questioned why it wasn’t detected sooner.
“This was discovered during a physical examination including a prostate exam. Siegel examines all male patients over 45 for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and targets it when elevated. However, Dr. William Dahut, Chief Scientific Officer of the American Cancer Society, may have delivered the most damaging verdict, disclosing that if the cancer has progressed to the bones, they “in general” do not consider it “curable”.
“In general, if cancer has spread to the bones, we don’t think it is considered a curable cancer,” the doctor stated. He did, however, point out that most patients respond well to initial treatment, and “people can live many years with the diagnosis.” Dr. Dahut stated that a person with Biden’s diagnosis will most likely be prescribed hormone therapy to alleviate symptoms and limit the growth of malignant cells.