Joe Biden's diagnosis of prostate cancer: how much did it spread? What are the symptoms? | Today news

Former US President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive type of prostate cancer, according to a statement from his office. Last week, Biden was admitted to a hospital in Philadelphia, where doctors identified a ‘small nodule’ on his prostate that needs additional evaluation. The 82-year-old former president handled urinary symptoms, his office reported on Sunday. What are the symptoms of prostate cancer? According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, prostate cancer usually first causes symptoms by simply reducing the flow of urine, leading to poor current size, dribble and the need to pass urine a few times during the night. “There may also be blood in the urine. Of course, benign prostate enlargement is very common and causes the same symptoms. The only ways to distinguish one from the other are through a biopsy and through PSA, ‘he added. In more advanced cases, prostate cancer can spread (metastasis) to bones or lymph nodes, causing: leg pain (especially in the hips, back or thighs), inexplicable weight loss and fatigue. How many Biden’s cancer has spread? Spokesman Kelly Scully said the cancer spread to the bone – a development seen in about 60% of advanced prostate cancer cases based on data from the health organization Zero Prosthate Cancer. Scully also noted that Biden’s cancer had a Gleason score of 9, indicating a very aggressive form of the disease. The Gleason point system is used to measure how likely prostate cancer is to grow and spread, with a score of 9 indicating a fast-growing and potentially more dangerous cancer. Treatment “Although it is a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer seems to be hormone sensitive, which enables effective management,” Scully said, as reported by Bloomberg. “The president and his family review treatment options with his doctors.” Since its cancer is hormone sensitive, it can still respond to hormone therapy, which works by blocking the production or action of testosterone-an essential hormone for growth in prostate cancer, the report states. For advanced prostate cancer, treatment options typically include hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of these approaches. Hormone therapy can help manage the disease and facilitate symptoms, while chemotherapy is generally considered when the cancer is aggressive or no longer responds to hormone -based treatments. “Although it is a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer seems to be hormone sensitive, which makes effective management possible,” Scully said. “The president and his family review treatment options with his doctors.” Since its cancer is hormone sensitive, it can still respond to hormone therapy, which involves making testosterone or reaching cancer cells. Prostate problems, including cancer, occur regularly in older men. Biden was the oldest serving president in American history. The issue of Biden’s age arose again because of the threatening publication of the book, as well as the release by Axios of the Audio from Biden’s 2023 interviews with special lawyer Robert Hur, who described Biden at the time as “an elderly man with a poor memory.” Since he went out of office, Biden has largely remained out of the public eye, but only spoke to President Donald Trump’s first 100 days. However, with the coming release of his book, he began to appear in more interviews, including on programs such as ABC’s The View, where he – even in a typically favorable environment – had questions about his age. Cancer was a deep personal issue for Biden. In 2015, his son Beau died after struggling brain cancer. In his time as president, Biden led the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative and advocated for greater investment in cancer research and efforts to accelerate the search for a healing, Bloomberg reports. (With input from Bloomberg)