Joe Biden Getting ‘Further Evaluation’ After Medical Checkup

Former President Joe Biden will require “further evaluation” after a small prostate nodule was discovered during a recent physical examination.

“In a routine physical exam a small nodule was found in the prostate which necessitated further evaluation,” a spokesperson told ABC News.

Newsweek has contacted Biden’s spokesperson for comment outside of regular working hours.

Why It Matters

It is quite common for men over the age of 50 to experience prostate problems. Some of the most common health issues include benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis and prostate cancer.

In 2021, the latest year for which data is available, 236,659 new cases of prostate cancer were reported in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prostate cancer was the most common of all cancers diagnosed in men that year, followed by lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum.

What To Know

It is too early to determine whether Biden’s nodule is a benign lump or something more serious.

In 2023, the former president had a skin lesion removed that was found to be a basal cell carcinoma — a type of skin cancer.

Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House physician at the time, said in a statement: “As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma. All cancerous tissue was successfully removed… No further treatment is required.”

He added: “Basal cell carcinoma lesions do not tend to ‘spread’ or metastasize, as some more serious skin cancers such as melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma are known to do. They do, however, have the potential to increase in size, resulting in a more significant issue as well as increased challenges for surgical removal.”

Speculation regarding Biden’s health circulated widely in 2024 before he dropped out of the presidential election race and was replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris as the democratic candidate.

In February 2024, Biden doctor declared him “fit to serve” after he underwent a physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

What Happens Next

Biden’s spokesperson declined to clarify additional details about his care, but a prostate nodule would typically need to be investigated to determine whether it it cancerous.

This can be done by MRI imaging or a transrectal ultrasound, which can reveal any suspicious areas in the prostate gland that could indicate cancer. Biopsies are also conducted to take a sample of tissue to be tested in a laboratory.