How long has Biden had cancer? What to know about prostate cancer testing and how it spreads

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How long has Biden had *******? What to know about prostate ******* testing and how it spreads

Former President Joe Biden’s diagnosis with an advanced stage of prostate ******* that has metastasized, or spread, to his bones prompted an outpouring of concern and questions about his condition. Those questions include how long the ******* may have taken to develop and whether he was screened for it during earlier checkups. 

While it’s unclear exactly how long Biden has had *******, its rapid spread is attributed to it being an aggressive form of the disease. His ******* was categorized as having a Gleason score of 9, which places him in Grade Group 5, the most severe category. The Gleason score is a system for grading the severity of prostate ******* based on analysis of cell samples under a microscope.

When prostate ******* is more advanced and spreads, the bones are among the areas most likely to be affected. It 

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to the lymph nodes, liver or lungs, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Unfortunately, late-stage ******* diagnoses are not uncommon. A 2014 analysis from ******* Research ***, for example, found that

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 in that country were diagnosed at an advanced stage. A 

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published in the journal Lancet Oncology found disruptions in care amid the pandemic also led to an increase in late-stage diagnoses across nearly all ******* types, including prostate. 

Slower-growing cancers can take years to develop and be detected, while more aggressive ones can become apparent more rapidly and also spread to other parts of the body quicker. 

Biden, who is now 82, did not undergo prostate ******* screening during his last medical checkup while in office, in February 2024, according to

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released at the time. Experts say this is likely due to that fact that these screenings are 

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 for men 70 years or older. 

“Doctors will stop screening for prostate ******* at 75 or so, because after that, the prostate cancers you typically pick up are very slow growing, and so the harms of all of the testing and treatment for something that may not kill you — you’re talking about risk versus benefit. It may not be worth the risk,” Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, explained on “CBS Mornings” Monday.

Instead, Biden’s diagnosis came after he recently saw a doctor due to ******** symptoms. A small nodule was found in the prostate, which necessitated further evaluation, his office said last week. 

“******** symptoms are quite common in older men and are usually due to benign conditions like having an enlarged prostate,” Gounder said. In this case, however, the testing discovered *******.

Gounder said the situation underscores the importance of tailoring medical decisions to the individual.

“He had new symptoms and is functionally active, which justified a closer look,” she said. 

There have been advancements in treating advanced prostate *******, and Gounder said the treatment goal in a case like this would be to control the *******, slowing its progression and preserving quality of life. Biden’s type of ******* is hormone-sensitive, which means it should respond to a testosterone-blocking treatment, Gounder said, adding that this might be combined with other medications or chemotherapy, depending on the specific case. 

Back in 2019, Biden was diagnosed with benign enlargement of the prostate, or BPH. That December, his campaign released his medical evaluation, which noted: “This patient has been treated for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). This was initially treated with medication and was then definitively treated with surgery. He has never had prostate *******.”

BPH is very common in older men, with around

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over 70 having it, according to Yale Medicine.

How do doctors screen for prostate *******?

Prostate ******* testing typically involves two methods: a prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test and a digital rectal exam, or DRE. A PSA test is a type of blood test that can indicate a higher chance of prostate ******* but is not a definitive diagnosis. A DRE involves a doctor using a gloved finger to feel for any bumps on the prostate via the *******.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of national experts, say the decision on screening for prostate ******* among men aged 55 to 69 years should be an individual one — and it recommends against PSA screening for men 70 and older.

“Many men will experience potential harms of screening, including false-positive results that require additional testing and possible prostate biopsy; overdiagnosis and overtreatment; and treatment complications, such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction,” the task force’s

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. “Clinicians should not screen men who do not express a preference for screening.”

Prostate ******* is common, second only to skin ******* as the most common ******* affecting males, according to the 

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. According to the 

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, for every 100 males, 13 will develop prostate ******* at some point in their lives.

Sara Moniuszko

Sara Moniuszko is a health and lifestyle reporter at CBSNews.com. Previously, she wrote for USA Today, where she was selected to help launch the newspaper’s wellness vertical. She now covers breaking and trending news for CBS News’ HealthWatch.

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#long #Biden #******* #prostate #******* #testing #spreads

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