Politics
Joe Biden Aggressive Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: Former President’s Health Update
Joe Biden aggressive prostate cancer
According to his office on Sunday, former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. Biden’s family is currently deliberating on treatment options for the ailment, which the office claimed can be handled.
According to a statement from Biden’s personal office, “President Joe Biden was seen last week for a new finding of a prostate nodule.” It went on to say that Biden was diagnosed with bone-metastasized prostate cancer on Friday.
According to the statement, the cancer seems to be responsive to hormone therapy, “which allows for effective management,” even though the diagnosis “represents a more aggressive form of the disease.” “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” the statement continued.
In recent days, Democrats have been questioning how they handled the 2024 election, particularly the aging Biden’s persistence on running for reelection until a disastrous debate performance pushed him out of the campaign. The revelation comes at an unprecedented time for Biden, 82, and his party.
Vice President Kamala Harris had little time to prepare for a race she ultimately lost because other prominent party officials had decided not to challenge him by the time he stumbled through the debate with now-President Donald Trump in late June of last year. This year’s book releases have reignited heated discussions among leading Democrats on Biden’s choice to run, his physical and mental health during his time in office and his bid for a second term, and whether or not his inner circle concealed health information from the party and the public.
There is no indication that Biden’s disease had anything to do with the physical and linguistic difficulties that raised concerns about his capacity to serve another term last year.
In the same way that Republicans frequently questioned Biden’s age and ability, Democrats have questioned Trump’s, who is 78, making him the oldest president in American history if he serves a full term.
The news of Joe Biden’s recent illness diagnosis saddens Melania and me. “We wish Joe a speedy and full recovery, and we send our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social website on Sunday.
She and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were “saddened to learn” of Biden’s diagnosis, Harris wrote on X on Sunday. Joe is a warrior, and I have no doubt that he will approach this task with the same fortitude, tenacity, and hope that have always characterized his life and leadership. We wish you a complete and quick recovery,” she continued.
One of the most prevalent cancers in males, particularly among older men, is prostate cancer. Certain forms of prostate cancer can be aggressive and spread swiftly to other parts of the body, including the bones, even though they typically develop slowly and initially stay contained to the prostate gland, where they may not cause significant harm.
According to the statement from his office, Biden’s cancer received a Gleason score of 9 from the pathology report, with 10 being the highest possible score. According to William Dahut, chief scientific officer for the American Cancer Society, a high Gleason score means that many of the cells appear malignant and different from normal prostate cells when viewed under a microscope.
Not one of Biden’s physicians, Dahut oversaw the prostate cancer program at the National Cancer Institute until 2022. “Although there are treatments that are very effective at treating the cancer, once it spreads to the bones, we generally no longer consider this to be a curable cancer,” Dahut stated.
According to him, the usual treatment for a patient is hormone therapy, which prevents the creation of testosterone, which promotes the growth of the cancer. With this, he could undoubtedly live for a long time. People with metastatic prostate cancer can live for a variety of lengths of time, according to Dahut. “In the most severe situations, less than a year, but there have also been accounts of people living for 15 or 20 years.”
Following his annual physical, Biden’s doctor issued a health summary in February 2024, stating that the president “continues to be fit for duty” and expressing no significant new worries. Prostate problems were not included in the summary or in earlier accounts of his administration.
Biden’s stiff gait, sleep apnea, and a root canal were among the issues that Biden’s medical team handled over the past year, according to the report. He persisted in leading a healthy lifestyle, abstaining from alcohol and tobacco products, and exercising at least five days a week.
In accordance with medical advice, his report omitted a section on cognitive function, which was noteworthy during a period when his memory and cognitive capacities were being questioned and would only be further questioned as the presidential campaign dragged on.
It wouldn’t be shocking if earlier prostate exams or tests conducted while Biden was president didn’t reveal any signs of disease, according to Otis Brawley, a medical oncologist at Johns Hopkins University who treats patients with metastatic prostate cancer. He declared, “We need a better test.”
Biden has frequently dealt with cancer in both his personal and political life. After losing his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015, he devoted a large portion of his latter career to cancer research. In honor of a son whose tragic death was never far from his thoughts, Biden led a “Cancer Moonshot” to further the fight against the illness. When Obama collaborated extensively with Republicans, including then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), to secure passage of the 21st Century Cures bill, his anticancer efforts offered a moment of bipartisanship.
Even though Biden rose to the highest level of American politics, tragedy has plagued his life. Shortly after his first Senate election in 1972, he lost his first wife and a baby daughter in an automobile accident. Biden’s second son, Hunter, fell into a drug addiction after the death of Beau, whom he considered his political heir, in 2015.
John McCain (R-Arizona) and Edward M. Kennedy (D-Massachusetts), two of Biden’s closest friends throughout his decades in the Senate, passed away from brain cancer in 2009 and 2018, respectively. Biden’s reputation for personal empathy, which became a key component of his political identity, was bolstered by those setbacks.
As he presided over the Senate chamber as vice president, Biden broke down in tears when McConnell revealed that the Senate would rename the law’s cancer program after him.
McConnell described Biden as having “knowledge of the cruel toll this disease can take.” “However, he hasn’t allowed it to stop him.”
In light of this, Sunday’s announcement was especially dramatic, and Biden immediately received backing from leaders of both parties.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) posted on social media, “I am saddened to hear of President Biden’s cancer diagnosis and am wishing him and his family well as he begins treatment.”
“Susan and I are saddened to hear about President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis and are praying for his full recovery,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina).
For an American who has been involved in politics for fifty years, Sunday’s news came at the end of an incredible six years, and an especially painful week.
The main reason Democrats chose Biden for president in 2020 was that he was a dependable, experienced candidate who appeared to have the best chance of defeating the unconventional Trump, a feat he accomplished to the acclaim of the party.
Even while Biden never stated that he would only serve one term, many Democrats took it to be implied, particularly after the president pledged to be a “bridge” to the next generation.
During an interview on ABC’s “The View” on May 8, Biden and his spouse, Jill, denied any allegations that his staff concealed a serious cognitive impairment from the public. They’re mistaken. Nothing can support that,” he stated. Additionally, according to Biden’s office, none of the books or detractors claim that Biden’s illness affected any of his choices or actions.
In an interview, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware), a longtime friend of Biden, stated that the diagnosis was challenging for those close to the former president.
“With the full support of his family and those who have long admired him and his grit and ability to get through difficult times, he will lean into and take this treatment and this path forward,” Coons said.
Coons continued, “The timing is particularly hard,” noting that May 30 marks the tenth anniversary of Beau Biden’s passing.