Former President Joe Biden Diagnosed as metastasis Prostate cancer The former president's office said he had a "radical form" of cancer that had spread to his bones.
His cancer was classified as Gleason with a 9 rating, which made him the 5th grade in the worst category.
Here is what you know about the disease and its symptoms and treatment:
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, most men are diagnosed with prostate cancer before they begin to show symptoms, because early warning signs for prostate cancer are rare. The severity of symptoms may depend on the location of the cancer cells and the progress of the disease.
According to Johns Hopkins, symptoms may include urine problems such as frequent urine, weak or interrupted flow, blood in the urine, and troublesome diaper or starting to urinate. Other symptoms may include difficulty in obtaining and maintaining an erection, pain in ejaculation, pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips or upper thighs, said Johns Hopkins.
Urinary symptoms, such as frequent urine or difficulty urinating, are common in older men, often due to benign diseases, such as enlarged prostate, said Dr. Celine Dr., a medical contributor at CBS News.
But in this case, Biden's office said his symptoms caused a prostate test, which led to Discover the nodule. Further tests determine that it is cancerous.
According to Dr. Gondell, some urologists were surprised that the 82-year-old had a screening for prostate cancer because routine screening in men over 75 is controversial. She said many prostate cancers in this age group are growing slowly, and overtreatment may do more harm than good.
Before diagnosis, Biden February 2024He was declared "fit for service" as he continued his post.
Dr. Gond said his situation underscores the importance of tailoring medical decisions for individuals. The former president has new symptoms and is functionally active, which suggests a more careful appearance.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the Gleason score is a grading system for prostate cancer. Pathologists divide each tissue sample into grades 1 to 5. The lower the grade, the more the cancer cells look like normal cells.
Each region of prostate cancer may have different grades, so pathologists have chosen the two regions that make up most of the cancer. According to the Cleveland Clinic, they added results in two areas.
Biden's Gleason score is 9 (grade 5), which was determined by a pathologist who looked at cells under a microscope.
The Cleveland Clinic said the score of 9 is the second highest on the scale, at 10. For scores 8, 9, and 10, “cells look very different from healthy cells, and healthy cells are called undegraded or undifferentiated.”
Dr. Gond said the classification suggests a poor prognosis.
In addition, Biden's diagnosis of prostate cancer is the presence of bone metastasis, which means the disease has spread. It puts him in a high/very high risk management team.
According to the Mayo Clinic, prostate cancer is usually curable if pre-identified and treated.
Dr. Gounder said that in Biden’s case, given his age and health – the goal is not to cure the disease, but to control it, slow progress and preserve quality of life. It is reported that more positive treatment can be made due to the good functional health of the former president. However, these decisions always weigh the benefits against potential risks and side effects based on the overall situation and priorities of the individual.
Although Biden's diagnosis is a more aggressive form of prostate cancer, his office says cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive. This means that cancer should respond to testosterone blocking treatment, as testosterone fuels prostate cancer growth.
Dr. Gounder said that based on his diagnosis, the main treatment is to block testosterone with drugs such as Lupron. This may be used in conjunction with other hormone therapies such as Zytiga, or even chemotherapy, depending on the specific situation.
According to Dr. Gounder, bone-targeted treatment is also part of the strategy.
Biden is one of 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer that will be diagnosed in the United States this year, according to cancer facts and data from the American Cancer Society. The organization said about 35,770 people (11%) will die from the disease this year.