Former U.S. President Joe Biden is receiving radiation therapy for his prostate cancer diagnosed in May, a spokesperson for the former president said on Saturday.
"As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment, the spokesperson said.
Biden, who turns 83 next month, underwent a procedure known as Mohs surgery in September to remove cancerous cells from his skin.
The Democratic former president in May revealed that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. His team said the illness was aggressive but hormone-sensitive, meaning it was likely to respond to treatment.
Last month, Biden also underwent Mohs surgery to treat a skin cancer lesion. A large bandage was visible on his forehead during public appearances at the time. In this type of procedure, the visible tumor and its surrounding margins are removed in a process that takes several minutes. The excised tissue is immediately sent to a nearby Mohs laboratory for analysis. Meanwhile, the surgical site is bandaged, and the patient rests in a recovery room. If the lab detects remaining cancerous cells, the patient is brought back into the operating room for further removal.
The former president announced in May that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones. The cancer was graded Gleason 9—the second-highest level of severity, corresponding to risk group 5—and was already classified as metastatic. “A Gleason score of 9 is at the upper end of the scale, which ranges from 6 to 10, and indicates an aggressive tumor,” explained Dr. Sharon Nordheimer, a senior physician in the Urologic Oncology Unit at the Sharett Institute, Hadassah Medical Center, in an interview with Ynet.
The tumor was discovered after Biden experienced worsening urinary symptoms. Tests revealed a small mass in his prostate, which was later confirmed to be malignant. However, the cancer was found to be hormone-sensitive, a factor that could influence the effectiveness of treatment. Biden’s office said at the time that he was pursuing several treatment options to ensure the “effective management” of the disease.