Sopuruchi Onwuka

A tip from urinary analysis led doctors to determine that immediate past President of the United States of America, Mr Joe Biden, has prostate cancer, a disease that mainly affects older male adults.

The former president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians, the Bidens declared in an official statement.

News of his sickness which hit the waves last night triggers an influx of prayers and recovery wishes.

His office stated that Biden was seen by doctors last week after urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule were found. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer cells having spread 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,” his office said.

Prostate cancers are given a score called a Gleason score that measures, on a scale of 1 to 10, how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. Biden’s office said his score was 9, suggesting his cancer is among the most aggressive.

When prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it often spreads to the bones. Metastasized cancer is much harder to treat than localized cancer because it can be hard for drugs to reach all the tumors and completely root out the disease.

However, when prostate cancers need hormones to grow, as in Biden’s case, they can be susceptible to treatment that deprives the tumors of hormones.

Many political leaders sent Biden their wishes for his recovery following the diagnosis.

President Donald Trump, a longtime political opponent, posted on social media that he was saddened by the news and “we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

Pete Buttigieg, who was Biden’s transportation secretary, called the former president “a man of deep faith and extraordinary resilience.”

The, 82, was a dominant concern among voters during his time as president. After a calamitous debate performance in June while seeking reelection, Biden abandoned his bid for a second term following widespread concerns over his failing health; and then-Vice President Kamala Harris became the party;s candidate in an election in which the Democratic Party lost to Donald Trump’s Republican party.

But in recent days, Biden rejected concerns about his age despite reporting in the new book “Original Sin” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson that aides had shielded the public from the extent of his decline while serving as president.

In February 2023, Biden had a skin lesion removed from his chest that was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer. And in November 2021, he had a polyp removed from his colon that was a benign, but potentially pre-cancerous lesion.

In 2022, Biden made a “cancer moonshot” one of his administration’s priorities with the goal of halving the cancer death rate over the next 25 years. The initiative was a continuation of his work as vice president to address a disease that had killed his older son, Beau, who died from brain cancer in 2015.

His father, when announcing the goal to halve the cancer death rate, said this could be an “American moment to prove to ourselves and, quite frankly, the world that we can do really big things.”

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” said President Donald Trump on Truth Social.

“Cancer is the absolute worst,” said Meghan McCain, whose father, the late Republican Sen. John McCain, died of brain cancer. “It is hell. It is incredibly difficult for any family, anywhere that has to deal with it. Wishing nothing but healing, prayers, light and strength to President Biden and his family. I don’t believe times like these are appropriate for politics.”

Democratic California Rep. Ro Khanna said on X: “Praying for @JoeBiden and his family to defeat the cancer he’s recently been diagnosed with. He and Jill have always been fighters and I am confident they will meet this challenge with grit and grace.”

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she was “sorry to see this news. Cancer is truly awful. My Dad passed away in 2021 with cancer. Prays for Joe Biden and his family.”

A spokesperson for the ex-commander-in-chief said on Sunday that the diagnosis was made on Friday after doctors found a small nodule on Biden’s prostate, which needed further evaluation.

“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, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” the statement said.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” the spokesperson added. “The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

Democratic strategist and political commentator Symone Sanders-Townsend said, “Joe Biden is a fine man, a dedicated public servant, a loving father, husband and grandfather. If you’re a praying person like I am, offer one up.”

Gun control advocate Fred Guttenberg also took to X to praise the former president.

“If you have followed my story, you know how much I love @JoeBiden and how much he means to me,” he said. “He is a testament to decency and civility and all that is good about America. Sending President Biden and his family much love as they now pursue medical options.”

Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins said she was “saddened to hear of President Biden’s cancer diagnosis and am wishing him and his family well as he begins treatment.”