Joe Biden, who previously held the title of President, now has a new label to contend with: prostate cancer sufferer. On the 16th day of May, the medical world rang out with his diagnosis of aggressive prostate cancer, the most severe manifestation of the disease involving the prostate organ, represented by a Gleason score of 9 and marked by a worrisome metastasis to the bone. More than a mere indication of severity, the former President’s Gleason score and the statement that it has invaded his bones could mean an uphill battle awaits, despite the hormone-sensitive nature of the malignant cells. Following this startling revelation, Biden and his family were seen navigating the harsh world of medical therapies, weighing potential options.
For the 82-year-old Biden, the prostate cancer diagnosis was not an out-of-the-blue incident. His journey with unusual urinary symptoms led to the unfortunate discovery of a prostate nodule, a sign that all was not well within. Meanwhile, the former head of the state reeled under this shock, keeping any verbal commentary regarding this development under wraps. Nevertheless, the facts about his health couldn’t have been more clear.
Prostate cancer, for those who are unaware, is the unchecked proliferation of cells in the prostate, a key organ in the male reproductive system. More than its prevalence, it is the variation in its severity marked by the Gleason grading system that catches attention. A Gleason score, which can range from 2 to 10, delineates the seriousness of the condition, with only scores from 6 to 10 defining a state of cancer. Joe Biden, unfortunately, shares a space in the upper echelons of this scale, with a daunting Gleason score of 9 indicating a very aggressive form of cancer.
The medical parlance of Gleason scores and prostate cancer grades may seem perplexing to the uninitiated. Still, the severity of Biden’s condition, as analyzed by medical expert Dr. Kavita Patel, is anything but unclear. He’s plagued with a cancer that’s extremely aggressive, a type that when left unattended, is potentially life-threatening due to its knack of metastasizing, i.e., spreading to other parts of the body. And, unfortunately for Biden, it appears his bones have already been infiltrated.
As a follow-up to his concerning diagnosis, Biden is yet to lay out his battle plan against the cancer publicly. But the word on the street is that he and his family are not taking this lying down. They are actively confabulating with medical professionals, exploring treatment routes including hormone therapy. The latter also known as androgen deprivation therapy, is known to block testosterone creation or its interaction with prostate cancer cells, to curtail cancer cell growth.
According to Biden’s handlers, his current form of prostate cancer seems to be hormone-sensitive. Here’s a layman’s translation of that: it’s more inclined to respond favorably to hormone therapies. Meaning, there’s a silver lining in the cloud of his aggressive cancer. His body’s response to treatment might turn out to be better than average, but flipping this narrative into an uplifting one is a far cry with the seriousness of his overall health condition.
When Biden relinquished his claim to the 2024 presidential candidacy, his reliance on age or health matters as a reason was non-existent, or so his team asserted. The senior administration official’s statement only confirmed what Biden was beating around the bush about; the revelation of a worrisome health report could potentially change his decision to be a part of the race.
2023 saw Biden dealing with another bout of malignancy. A lesion, presumed cancerous and threatening, was removed from his chest. The culprit turned out to be basal cell carcinoma, a notorious type of skin cancer. Fortunately for Biden, the intervention seemed adequate and no further treatment was warranted. One could interpret this as a lucky escape, though it doesn’t downsize the gravity of his current health condition.
Biden’s tryst with diseases does not end with the cancerous lesion. The former President was twice knocked down by the onslaught of COVID-19, firstly in July 2022 and later in July 2024. His age, creeping into the ‘high-risk’ threshold, posed a hurdle in his recovery each time. It’s well-known that older age equates to a higher risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms, and mortality, a hard truth that laid bare when Biden had to retreat to his Delaware home to isolate during his 2024 bout.
While battling COVID-19, his physician assuringly reported normal vital signs and reiterated he would continue his presidential duties while in self-isolation. Yet, one cannot help but wonder if these successive health blows have taken a toll on the ex-president’s well-being, especially given his advancing years. His run for Presidency during the 1988 race was marred by increased bouts of headaches, initially dismissed as a mere pinched nerve.
However, one morning in 1988 meant a shocking revelation; Biden woke up to a sensation of an electric surge in his head and collapsed to his hotel room floor. A hurried hospital visit later, he was told he had a burst aneurysm. A life hanging on the precipice was not difficult to imagine with the existence of a ruptured aneurysm which brings along deadly possibilities of internal grave bleedings.
It was a crushing news that if the aneurysm burst again, Biden could face grave consequences including severe mental and physical disability, or worse, it could have been fatal. Aneurysms, characterized by the bulging of blood vessels, pose a threat of rupture which can gravely endanger life. Biden’s condition then was far more precarious than an average man could grapple with.
In the midst of it all, Biden was uprooted from his initial hospital and transferred to a specialized medical center. Another horrifying revelation awaited him there – the existence of a second aneurysm, not yet ruptured, and a blood clot. His second aneurysm ruptured during surgery, causing blood to leak around his brain, yet miraculously not into his brain – a narrow escape from catastrophic brain damage.
In retrospect, Biden did recover entirely from that life-threatening ordeal, and doctors gave assurances of no consequent brain damage. Yet, one cannot overlook how these constant health battles, from the aneurysms to the prostate cancer, hint at an ongoing string of severe health issues. While Biden may bear these woes with a stoic countenance, the public can’t help but question how these ordeals chip away at his overall vigorousness.
In conclusion, one must acknowledge that while Biden’s health ups and downs, be it the niggling cancerous lesion or the high-stakes battle against prostate cancer, show a picture of anything but robust health. The undercurrent of his journey from health scares to intervening therapies is indeed a plot with too many unnerving twists and turns. The sentiment of anxiety opens up further questions regarding his dementia and mental decline, showcasing his life less like that of a former President and more like a medical case study.
The post Biden’s Severe Health Struggles Continue: Prostate Cancer Diagnosed appeared first on Real News Now.
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