Key takeaways:
- Former President Joe Biden introduced he has been recognized with metastatic prostate most cancers.
- Greater than 310,000 males are anticipated to be recognized with prostate most cancers in 2025.
Editor’s word: This can be a growing information story. Please verify again quickly for updates.
Former President Joe Biden has been recognized with metastatic prostate most cancers, his workplace introduced on Sunday.
“Final week, President Joe Biden was seen for a brand new discovering of a prostate nodule after experiencing rising urinary signs. On Friday, he was recognized with prostate most cancers, characterised by a Gleason rating of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” the assertion learn, based on NBC Information.
“Whereas this represents a extra aggressive type of the illness, the most cancers seems to be hormone-sensitive which permits for efficient administration,” it continued. “The President and his household are reviewing remedy choices along with his physicians.”
John Lynam, DO, FACOS, urologist at Superior Urology Institute and scientific assistant professor and founding college member at Orlando Osteopathic School of Medication, famous the “seriousness” of Biden’s analysis and mentioned a remedy is “not going attainable, however there are therapies obtainable to handle signs and probably delay life.”
John Lynam
“Former President Biden’s analysis underscores the significance of standard well being check-ups, lab work and annual bodily exams,” Lynam instructed Healio. “It’s a reminder that prostate most cancers could be aggressive, and that early detection is vital. Furthermore, his openness about his situation could encourage others to prioritize their well being and search common screenings.”
Healio beforehand reported prostate most cancers incidence has continued to extend in the USA, based on American Most cancers Society’s Most cancers Statistics 2025 report.
Prostate most cancers is projected to have the second most diagnoses — reaching 313,780 — amongst all malignancy varieties this 12 months, and it’s estimated to trigger greater than 35,000 deaths.
“This information is a reminder in regards to the tragic influence of prostate most cancers within the U.S., the place about one in eight males will probably be recognized over their lifetime with prostate most cancers,” American Most cancers Society (ACS) mentioned in a press release. “Though it’s a extremely survivable illness when caught in early levels, it’s the second main reason for most cancers dying in males. Early detection is vital, and we’re involved given the 5% year-over-year enhance in analysis of males with extra superior illness. We will and should do extra to forestall late-stage analysis and dying from prostate most cancers. ACS and ACS [Cancer Action Network] are rising our efforts within the progress towards prostate most cancers and eradicating obstacles to early detection is essential.”
Alexander Kutikov, MD, FACS, chair of the division of urology at Fox Chase Most cancers Middle at Temple Well being, instructed Healio that roughly 8% of prostate most cancers circumstances are recognized as metastatic.
Alexander Kutikov
“Whereas the analysis is severe, it’s typically manageable,” he mentioned. “With fashionable remedy choices, many males reside for years, typically with wonderful high quality of life.”
“It’s at all times tough to listen to that somebody, particularly a public determine who has just lately retired, is going through a brand new most cancers analysis. That mentioned, there’s actual cause for hope,” Kutikov added. “We now have a spread of extremely efficient therapies for metastatic prostate most cancers, and extra are rising every year. Certainly, we went from one FDA-approved drug to greater than 10 totally different brokers since docetaxel was accredited in 2004. One current instance is lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan [Pluvicto, Novartis], a radioligand remedy that was simply accredited for earlier use within the illness course. At Fox Chase Most cancers Middle and Temple Well being, we more and more use all these brokers as a part of customized, focused care — they’re altering outcomes for a lot of sufferers.”
Nonetheless, Healio just lately reported that almost 70% of males with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate most cancers don’t obtain beneficial first-line therapies with androgen receptor pathway inhibitors and/or chemotherapy together with androgen deprivation remedy.
These therapies have prolonged OS for these sufferers from lower than 3 years to about 50-60 months, Neeraj Agarwal, MD, FASCO, professor of drugs and presidential endowed chair of most cancers analysis at College of Utah’s Huntsman Most cancers Institute, beforehand instructed Healio.
Biden thanked his supporters in a put up on X.
“Most cancers touches us all,” he wrote. “Like so a lot of you, Jill [Biden] and I’ve discovered that we’re strongest within the damaged locations. Thanks for lifting us up with love and help.”
ACS credited Biden for serving to launch Via the Most cancers Moonshot initiative, which “prioritized each authorities funding within the most cancers struggle, in addition to promoted public-private partnerships to advance progress towards the illness,” the society mentioned in a press release.
Moreover, ACS mentioned his name for public-private partnership helped spur “Bettering Mortality from Prostate Most cancers Collectively (IMPACT) initiative to cut back dying charges from prostate most cancers in all demographics and disparities for Black males by 2035 via advocacy, affected person help and analysis.”
“We stand with Former President Biden and Former First Girl Dr. Jill Biden as they face this analysis,” ACS mentioned.
Kutikov and Lynam supplied their help, too, however Kutikov highlighted the significance of the general public and different physicians not overreacting to the information.
“The [American Urological Association] recommends prostate most cancers screening for males ages 55 to 69, with a concentrate on shared choice making,” he mentioned. “The problem is balancing the danger of overdiagnosis — figuring out indolent cancers that may by no means trigger hurt — with underdetection of the few which might be aggressive. A analysis in somebody of their 80s, like President Biden, shouldn’t be seen as a cause to broaden screening efforts, as life expectancy and different well being dangers should be thought-about. And screening isn’t good; aggressive cancers can generally be missed, which can have been the case right here.
“Most prostate cancers recognized right now are slow-growing and unlikely to unfold. Whereas a small share could be aggressive and require remedy, that doesn’t imply each most cancers wants intervention. Almost 50% of males recognized every year are eligible for lively surveillance, the place the illness is monitored slightly than handled. It’s necessary for the general public to know that the existence of aggressive cancers doesn’t imply we are able to at all times forestall them — nor ought to it lead us to overtreat the bulk that aren’t life-threatening.”
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