Former President Biden was diagnosed with prostate cancer for the first time last week, a spokesperson said Tuesday, clarifying that his last screening for the disease occurred in 2014 and that prior to Friday, there had been no history of diagnosis, NBC News reports. The clarification came amid conspiracy theories suggesting Biden may have covered up a diagnosis while he was in office.
Prostate cancer screening typically involves a PSA test, which measures a protein possibly linked to cancer. However, the test is known for producing many false positives, and the US Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend routine PSA screening for men over 70, citing the greater likelihood of dying from other causes—though screening practices have shifted recently, with more older patients being screened. Biden, now 82, is well past the commonly recommended screening age and last had the test 11 years ago.
Doctors who spoke to the Los Angeles Times as well as NBC say that while Biden was diagnosed with a more advanced and aggressive form of cancer than is typically seen on first diagnosis, the scenario remains well within common parameters. According to Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, who spoke Monday on MSNBC, the cancer likely had been present and progressing for years. Dr. William Dahut from the American Cancer Society echoed the view that Biden probably had undiagnosed cancer for "many, many years." (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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