Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a statement released by his personal office.
The cancer is described as “aggressive” and has metastasized to his bones.
The statement outlines the timeline and seriousness of the diagnosis: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”
Per CNN, doctors identified the cancer after Biden reported escalating urinary issues.
The discovery of a prostate nodule led to further testing, which confirmed a high-grade, advanced form of the disease.
The Gleason score of 9 places it in Grade Group 5, indicating one of the most severe classifications in prostate cancer diagnosis, and the presence of bone metastases further elevates the concern, Sky News reports.
Despite the grim nature of the diagnosis, Biden’s medical team remains cautiously optimistic about treatment options. “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” the statement said.
Biden and his family are currently in discussions with his medical team about potential treatment paths. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” the statement added.
Per the Mayo Clinic, “The Gleason score and grade group are numbers that tell your healthcare team whether your prostate cancer is growing slowly or quickly. How quickly a cancer grows also is called a cancer’s grade.”
Biden’s Gleason score of 9 places it in the “Grade group 5” – and suggests the cancer is likely to grow quickly.
Biden, who left office in January, has not publicly addressed the diagnosis himself as of yet.
