Latest news with #BidenDiagnosis
Washington Post
26-05-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
I'm an oncologist. Speculating about Biden's cancer is dangerous.
Ravi Parikh is a genitourinary medical oncologist at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. In the days since former president Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis, amid the typical outpouring of support for a public figure diagnosed with cancer, two leading conspiracy theories have emerged. The first is that Biden's team willfully ignored prostate cancer screening. Pundits — some of them doctors — have speculated about the president's screening history, suggesting that regular PSA testing (a blood test that screens for prostate-specific antigen) might have caught the cancer earlier. Major news outlets have subtly propagated this narrative as well, running flashy headlines questioning how Biden's doctors could have missed his condition. And, more egregiously, many across the political spectrum have insinuated that the president delayed his own diagnosis as part of a broader cover-up of his health issues. The second conspiracy theory involves attempts to tie Biden's diagnosis to his poor performance in the June 2024 presidential debate. Some have implied that his cancer explains his perceived cognitive decline, changes in energy levels or recent lack of public appearances. As an oncologist who predominantly treats Stage 4 prostate cancer, I find these narratives dangerous. They risk further stigmatizing the many patients I care for who are surviving and thriving with Stage 4 cancer. For starters, it is not helpful to speculate how long the president's cancer had been growing or whether earlier PSA testing would have prevented it. Why? Because it doesn't change his current prognosis or how we treat it now. The cancer was reportedly discovered after a routine physical exam revealed a prostate nodule, followed by imaging that showed spread to his bones. If the first time Biden heard about his cancer was at diagnosis, then our role as physicians is to focus on treatment, not hindsight. It is possible earlier PSA screening might have caught it sooner. But national guidelines recommended against PSA screening for anyone over age 70, much less an 82-year-old man, due to elevated risk of false positives or invasive biopsies that can outweigh the benefits of earlier detection. It's also possible Biden's cancer progressed between tests. So though the health of the president is certainly of public concern, there's no reason to make any patient — or his supporters — feel guilty about an unpredictable cancer. Moreover, it is very unlikely that the president's cancer contributed to any cognitive or functional impairment. Prostate cancer almost never spreads to the brain, and Biden's office reported that the president was asymptomatic except for mild urinary issues. Throughout my career, I've treated hundreds of men with Stage 4 prostate cancer. It is incurable but treatable. When a patient first comes to see me, I focus on four steps. First, we address symptoms such as bone pain from metastases, urinary issues, weight loss — often in coordination with radiation oncology, palliative medicine and nutrition specialists. Second, and most importantly, we discuss goals: How aggressive should we be? What are the patient's priorities? What trade-offs between quality of life and cancer control are acceptable? Treatment for Stage 4 prostate cancer is so effective nowadays that we have the luxury of offering a range of options that consider a patient's preferences. Next, I describe the treatment options. The backbone of treatment is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which reduces testosterone, the fuel for prostate cancer growth. We often add pills such as androgen receptor signaling inhibitors that further inhibit testosterone signaling. Depending on disease burden, we may also consider radiation or chemotherapy; genetic testing can help us identify targeted therapy options. If one treatment fails, we have several other standard options before considering experimental therapies or hospice. Finally, we talk survivorship — living well with cancer. This includes managing side effects such as hot flashes, monitoring for recurrence and addressing broader health needs. Patients with prostate cancer often live long enough that other conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes, may pose greater risks than the cancer itself, so we screen for those, too. And ADT can reduce bone density, so we screen for that as well as encourage weight-bearing exercise. And yes, we discuss cognition. ADT — not prostate cancer — can impact cognitive function. If someone has signs of cognitive issues, we weigh this when recommending treatment. But unless a patient has severe dementia, it rarely changes the treatment plan. The chatter around Biden about preventability, debility and prognosis does a disservice to patients living with metastatic prostate cancer. These narratives perpetuate the harmful myth that Stage 4 prostate cancer means imminent death or total debilitation — and they can lead to social isolation, workplace bias and psychological distress. In reality, prostate cancer is a serious but manageable illness. If one treatment fails, we have several other standard options before considering experimental therapies or hospice. Of all Stage 4 cancers, prostate cancer most closely resembles a chronic disease like diabetes or high blood pressure. Biden already is, and will continue to be, a 'metastatic survivor' — someone managing cancer as a chronic condition. Though statistics suggest that most men with Stage 4 prostate cancer won't survive five years, these numbers come from an older era of less effective treatment — and an inequitable system of care where many patients didn't receive access to guideline-based treatment. I feel empathy for the president and his family. The day a patient gets diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer is one of the worst days in his life. Patients often carry the emotional weight of guilt, fear and uncertainty — compounded in Biden's case by already intense public scrutiny, a 'tell-all' book release and political implications. After the president's diagnosis, I asked several of my patients what they thought. They're undergoing the same treatments he will. Their responses weren't pity or anger: They were of encouragement. With permission, here's what they said: 'I've been living with this for seven years. My PSA is undetectable, and I still play golf once a week.' 'The hot flashes aren't fun, but they're worth it to watch my grandkids grow up.' 'I thought it was a death sentence. But I'm still here five years later. He'll be fine.' For these patients, and most others, Stage 4 prostate cancer wasn't an immediate death sentence and has not caused physical or mental disability. The question they are asking isn't 'What if?' — it's 'What's next?' I hope Joe Biden, and the rest of the country, can ask the same.
The National
19-05-2025
- Health
- The National
Biden team accused of covering up cancer and other health concerns
Former president Joe Biden and his staff have been accused of concealing his cancer diagnosis and other health problems while he was in office. Mr Biden at the weekend announced his diagnosis of an aggressive form of prostate cancer, which has metastasised to the bone. His diagnosis was characterised by a Gleason score of 9, with the score measuring on a scale of 1 to 10 how the cancerous cells look compared to normal cells. 'Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support,' Mr Biden, 82, said in a post on X. Amid an outpouring of support from friend and foe – including Mr Biden's successor President Donald Trump – some have accused him and his team of a cover-up. 'What I want to know is how did Dr Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer, or is this yet another cover-up?' Donald Trump Jr said in a post on X. The former first lady holds a doctorate in education. The Wall Street Journal's editorial board accused Democrats of covering up Mr Biden's infirmity and denying the American people a better presidential candidate. Mr Biden stepped back from the presidential race in July, instead backing his vice president, Kamala Harris. 'He did not develop it in the last, 100, 200 days. He had it while he was President. He probably had it at the start of his presidency, in 2021,' oncologist Zeke Emanuel, who served as an adviser on Covid-19 to the Biden administration, told MSNBC. 'I don't think there's any disagreement about that.' Men are typically screened for prostate cancer annually starting at about the age of 55, with a test measuring the blood for a prostate-specific antigen. From then, they are usually screened every two to three years. Most men will get prostate cancer if they live long enough, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some prostate cancers are more aggressive while others can be slow growing. Every sitting president is required to have an annual physical and the results are released to the public. Mr Biden's medical team did not previously indicate that he had prostate cancer. Even before the cancer announcement, Mr Biden was believed to be showing symptoms of dementia, or at least suffering the effects of advanced age. During the first presidential debate against Mr Trump, Mr Biden appeared frail and lost his train of thought. At other events, he confused the leaders of countries, calling Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah El Sisi the president of Mexico. While Mr Biden was under investigation over claims he retained sensitive government documents after his time as vice president under Barack Obama, the special counsel in the case concluded that charges were not needed due to both a lack of evidence and the former president's 'significantly limited' memory. 'Mr Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,' the report said. The former president also often stumbled or fell, slipping down the stairs of Air Force One in 2021 and collapsing after handing out diplomas at an Air Force graduation two years later. In the coming book Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson recount how Mr Biden failed to recognise actor George Clooney at a campaign event in June last year. Weeks later, Clooney called on Mr Biden to step down from the presidential race. 'It wasn't a straight line of decline; he had good days and bad. But until the last day of his presidency, Biden and those in his innermost circle refused to admit the reality that his energy, cognitive skills and communication capacity had faltered significantly. Even worse, through various means, they tried to hide it,' the authors write.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Trump calls for investigation into Harris over celebrity endorsements
Donald Trump kicked off Monday morning by turning his attacks towards former 2024 rival Kamala Harris just hours after Joe Biden's devastating cancer diagnosis was made public. The president is demanding a 'major investigation' into Harris after she dolled out massive amounts of campaign cash for major celebrity appearances from the likes of single-name icons Beyonce and Oprah. Trump claims that Harris' lofty spending for performances at her events equates to using donations to pay for endorsements, which is illegal. Still, the slew of celebrity appearances and mini concerts, including from Bruce Springsteen and Bono, did not help Harris get any closer to getting promoted to the Oval Office. The post on Monday came after just hours former President Biden's office announced that he was diagnosed with an 'aggressive form' of prostate cancer. Trump posted on Sunday to his Truth Social well wishes for Biden's recovery. 'Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden's recent medical diagnosis,' the president wrote. 'We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.' But the next morning Trump was back to his usual social media antics and turned his attacks to Biden's former No. 2. 'How much did Kamala Harris pay Bruce Springsteen for his poor performance during her campaign for president?' he questioned in his Truth Social post. 'Why did he accept that money if he is such a fan of hers? Isn't that a major and illegal campaign contribution?' 'What about Beyonce?' the president continued. 'And how much went to Oprah, and Bono??' He insisted: 'I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter. Candidates aren't allowed to pay for endorsements, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment.' Trump often had celebrities who supported him appear or perform at his campaign rallies. This included Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, Billy Ray Cyrus and God Bless the USA singer Lee Greenwood. He even had the Village People perform their hit song Y.M.C.A. at his inaugural rally. His post, however, suggests that Trump did not pay for these performances – at least not from his campaign funds. Trump said on Truth Social that Harris was desperate to get these 'expensive' and 'unpatriotic' performers to come to her events to 'artificially build up her sparse crowds.' 'This was just a corrupt and unlawful way to capitalize on a broken system,' Trump concluded.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CNN host describes timing of Biden's cancer announcement as ‘extraordinary'
CNN host and media pundit Brian Stelter has questioned the timing of former President Joe Biden's announcement on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, calling it 'extraordinary' as the news coincides with a series of negative stories about the Democrat's final years in the White House. Biden, 82, received the diagnosis on Friday, according to a spokesperson, after doctors discovered a 'small nodule' on his prostate that required additional evaluation and subsequently determined that the cancer is 'high grade' and has spread to the bone. His representative said the former president and his family are currently 'reviewing treatment options' with physicians. 'The timing is just extraordinary,' Stelter told his network colleague Jessica Dean in response to the development. 'Biden learned of the diagnosis Friday. Well, what was the biggest Biden story on Friday? It was the release of those excruciating audio excerpts from his conversations with Robert Hur back in 2023.' 'You have that [audio release] as one element of the timing here,' Stelter continued. 'And then you have this book coming out… one of the biggest political books in several years.' He was referring to the leaking of audio on Friday from Biden's 2023 interview with Justice Department special counsel Robert Hur about allegations that he improperly stored classified documents at his Delaware home, which revealed the president struggling to remember key dates and details, having to be prompted by his lawyers and speaking in a hoarse, whispering voice. The release of Hur's report on the interview in February 2024, in which he described Biden as a 'sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,' caused uproar among liberals at the time, who saw it as a calculated attack on the president and an attempt to encourage the perception that he was in a state of cognitive decline in order to boost Donald Trump's rival presidential campaign. The book in question is the forthcoming Original Sin by Dean's fellow network anchor, Jake Tapper, and Axios reporter Alex Thompson. It aims to illuminate the conversations behind the scenes that led to the president's historic decision last July to drop out of the 2024 race. This decision paved the way for his Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his stead and, ultimately, lose to Trump in November. Prior to the book's publication, Biden appeared to be attempting to reassert control over the narrative surrounding his legacy. He gave a major interview to the BBC earlier this month and appeared on ABC's The View alongside his wife, former first lady Dr. Jill Biden, much to the annoyance of Democratic strategists keen to move on from their party's humbling election loss. Stelter was not the only pundit to note the timing of the announcement: MAGA activist Laura Loomer wrote on X that she believed it was a 'PR strategy' to shield Biden from criticism arising from Tapper and Thompson's book. Others have reacted more sympathetically to the news, however. President Trump said he was 'saddened' and that he and his wife Melania Trump 'extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.' Former president Barack Obama, whom Biden served as vice president for two terms between 2009 and 2017, paid tribute to his friend's own track record of supporting cancer research since his son Beau Biden died in 2015, while Harris praised him as a 'fighter.'
The Independent
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
CNN host describes timing of Biden's cancer announcement as ‘extraordinary'
CNN host and media pundit Brian Stelter has questioned the timing of former President Joe Biden 's announcement on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, calling it 'extraordinary' as the news coincides with a series of negative stories about the Democrat's final years in the White House. Biden, 82, received the diagnosis on Friday, according to a spokesperson, after doctors discovered a 'small nodule' on his prostate that required additional evaluation and subsequently determined that the cancer is 'high grade' and has spread to the bone. His representative said the former president and his family are currently 'reviewing treatment options' with physicians. 'The timing is just extraordinary,' Stelter told his network colleague Jessica Dean in response to the development. 'Biden learned of the diagnosis Friday. Well, what was the biggest Biden story on Friday? It was the release of those excruciating audio excerpts from his conversations with Robert Hur back in 2023.' 'You have that [audio release] as one element of the timing here,' Stelter continued. 'And then you have this book coming out… one of the biggest political books in several years.' He was referring to the leaking of audio on Friday from Biden's 2023 interview with Justice Department special counsel Robert Hur about allegations that he improperly stored classified documents at his Delaware home, which revealed the president struggling to remember key dates and details, having to be prompted by his lawyers and speaking in a hoarse, whispering voice. The release of Hur's report on the interview in February 2024, in which he described Biden as a 'sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,' caused uproar among liberals at the time, who saw it as a calculated attack on the president and an attempt to encourage the perception that he was in a state of cognitive decline in order to boost Donald Trump 's rival presidential campaign. The book in question is the forthcoming Original Sin by Dean's fellow network anchor, Jake Tapper, and Axios reporter Alex Thompson. It aims to illuminate the conversations behind the scenes that led to the president's historic decision last July to drop out of the 2024 race. This decision paved the way for his Vice President Kamala Harris to run in his stead and, ultimately, lose to Trump in November. Prior to the book's publication, Biden appeared to be attempting to reassert control over the narrative surrounding his legacy. He gave a major interview to the BBC earlier this month and appeared on ABC's The View alongside his wife, former first lady Dr. Jill Biden, much to the annoyance of Democratic strategists keen to move on from their party's humbling election loss. Stelter was not the only pundit to note the timing of the announcement: MAGA activist Laura Loomer wrote on X that she believed it was a 'PR strategy' to shield Biden from criticism arising from Tapper and Thompson's book. Others have reacted more sympathetically to the news, however. President Trump said he was 'saddened' and that he and his wife Melania Trump 'extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.' Former president Barack Obama, whom Biden served as vice president for two terms between 2009 and 2017, paid tribute to his friend's own track record of supporting cancer research since his son Beau Biden died in 2015, while Harris praised him as a 'fighter.'
