US Prez Biden had skin cancer lesion removed, White House says

Last updated on March 6th, 2023 at 12:20 pm

Last month during a routine health screening, 80-year-old Joe Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed from his chest on February 16 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington DC, the US president’s doctor Kevin O’Connor wrote in a note provided to media on Friday.

All cancerous tissue was removed and no further treatment is necessary, he said, adding the area has “healed nicely” since the biopsy was taken.

Biden will continue dermatologic surveillance in line with his ongoing healthcare, the doctor further mentioned.

The type of cancer found – basal cell carcinoma – is known to not usually spread or metastasise, the note said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), basal and squamous cell carcinoma are counted among the most common forms of skin cancer in the country.

It is the most frequently occurring form of all cancers, diagnosed in some 3.6 million Americans each year, the Skin Cancer Foundation says. It grows slowly, is curable, and prompts minimal damage upon early treatment.

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In January this year, Biden’s wife, First Lady Jill Biden, underwent surgery to remove three lesions, with two of them later testing positive for basal cell carcinoma.

According to the CDC, unlike melanoma – another type of common skin cancer that holds the potential to proliferate to other parts of the body – both basal and squamous carcinoma can normally be cured, “but they can be disfiguring and expensive to treat.”

The Bidens have been strong advocates for fighting cancer for years now. In 2015, their adult son, Beau, died from brain cancer. The US president also had a number of non-melanoma skin cancers removed in the past, before he took office in January 2021.

According to doctors, one of the best ways to prevent skin cancer is to cover up and apply sunscreen lotion, irrespective of the season.

Scores of people across the country expect Biden to make an announcement on seeking a second term in office soon.

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