Joe Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis: An Insight Into The Life Of The Former President
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On May 18, former US President Joe Biden announced that he had been diagnosed with Stage four prostate cancer. According to a statement released from his office, the cancer has also spread to his bones. The diagnosis came after the former president showed urinary symptoms that prompted doctors to investigate and find a “small nodule” on his prostate, according to The New York Times.
According to Cancer Research UK, Biden’s cancer is categorized with a Gleason Score of nine, meaning his illness is “high-grade,” and could spread very quickly. Symptoms of prostate cancer include urinating often, difficulty urinating, a burning sensation while urinating, and blood in the semen or urine, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This revelation has revived questions over whether Biden was facing serious health issues while serving as president. According to BBC News, the recent cancer diagnosis has left some doctors puzzled, as they were surprised that such an aggressive form of cancer, which spread through his bones, was not detected earlier.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on May 19 that his predecessor should have been more transparent about his disease, implying that Biden was covering up his diagnosis.
However, according to a Biden staffer, the 82-year-old has not had a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test since 2014. Furthermore, the source added that Biden had never previously been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which could explain a lack of concern during Biden’s presidency.
According to oncologist Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, who worked as a COVID adviser to the Biden White House, Biden had probably been sick for some time without knowing about it. "He did not develop in the last 100, 200 days. [...] He probably had it at the start of his presidency in 2021,” Dr. Emanuel told MSNBC's Morning Joe show. With these new ideas being tossed around, many people have begun to speculate on whether or not the cancer influenced Biden’s reported cognitive decline during his second term as President, according to the BBC.
According to Aljazeera News, Biden’s aide stated, “The cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management.” The American Cancer Society states that this hormone-sensitive prostate cancer can be treated using androgen deprivation therapy, which stops androgens from fuelling prostate cancer cell growth.
On May 30, for the first time since his cancer diagnosis, Biden spoke about his condition. According to the BBC, while speaking to reporters following a Memorial Day event, the former president said that he was feeling good and expects “to be able to beat” the cancer.