Politics
JUST IN: Trump Issues Statement On Joe Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis
President Donald Trump responded to former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis with a sympathetic message on Sunday afternoon.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris also offered her sympathy and support to her former running mate and his family. “Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis. We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time,” she wrote.
“Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”
The former president’s office announced Sunday afternoon that Biden had been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer.
“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” Biden’s team shared in a statement. “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” the statement continued.
The former president and his family are meeting with doctors and considering “multiple treatment options,” including hormone treatment for the cancer, a source familiar with the former president’s thinking told NBC News.
Biden is currently resting at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, the source said. It is currently unclear where the former president intends to seek treatment.
Biden’s prostate cancer had a Gleason score of 9, or Group Grade 5. This means the cancer is more likely than others to expand and spread.
“Gleason nine is by definition, aggressive, but you don’t know how bad it is unless you know what the PET scan looks like,” said Dr. Alan Tan, genitourinary section lead at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Tan — who has no involvement in Biden’s case — said this form of cancer is not particularly rare.
“This is the most common thing I see in my clinic,” he said. “This is bread and butter genitourinary oncology.”
Prostate cancer specialists and experts said Biden’s diagnosis is not necessarily a death sentence. If he responds well to treatment, he could live for several years with the disease in a controlled state. Most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it, Tan said.
The prostate cancer specialist added that Biden stands “a very good chance of still getting into remission,” within as little as 6 months.
Approximately 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. The cancer is common in older men, and it is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, with lung cancer being the first, according to the society.
