Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his office announced on Sunday.His diagnosis follows recent medical checks that revealed a worrying development.Biden was seen by doctors earlier this week after showing urinary symptoms. A routine physical exam had uncovered a small nodule in his prostate, prompting further tests. By Friday, doctors confirmed the presence of prostate cancer, with cells having already spread to his bones.“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” his office said in a statement. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”Prostate cancers are rated with a Gleason score from 1 to 10, showing how abnormal the cancer cells look compared to healthy ones. Biden’s score of 9 means his cancer is very aggressive.Earlier this week, both ABC News and The New York Times reported that Biden had undergone a medical evaluation following the discovery of the prostate nodule. According to the NYT, he spent Friday in a Philadelphia hospital undergoing additional examinations.“This 82-year-old former US President Joe Biden is undergoing medical evaluation after doctors discovered a small nodule in his prostate during a routine physical exam,” a spokesperson told ABC News on Tuesday.Biden’s medical history has often drawn public attention, particularly during and after his presidency. In February 2023, while still in office, he had a lesion removed from his chest. White House physician Dr Kevin O’Connor later confirmed it was basal cell carcinoma. “All cancerous tissue was successfully removed. … No further treatment is required,” O’Connor said at the time.He explained that although basal cell carcinoma usually does not spread like other skin cancers, it can grow larger if left untreated. “They do, however, have the potential to increase in size, resulting in a more significant issue as well as increased challenges for surgical removal.”Before taking office, Biden also underwent Mohs surgery to remove non-melanoma skin cancers. In 2023, O’Connor noted that the biopsy site had “healed nicely” and added that Biden would continue with regular skin check-ups.Despite being declared “fit for duty” by O’Connor as recently as February 2024, Biden continued to face public doubts about his age and mental clarity. These concerns were widely believed to have influenced his decision to step away from the 2024 re-election race.Since leaving office in January, Biden has kept a relatively low profile but has appeared in the media a few times, including interviews after US President Trump’s first 100 days back in the White House.
