Biden had skin cancer removed, doctor says no more treatment needed

Published March 4, 2023
US President Joe Biden reacts to reporters as he departs the White House in Washington, US on March 3, 2023. — Reuters
US President Joe Biden reacts to reporters as he departs the White House in Washington, US on March 3, 2023. — Reuters

US President Joe Biden had a skin lesion removed from his chest in February that was a basal cell carcinoma — a common form of skin cancer — and no further treatment is needed, White House physician Kevin O’Connor said on Friday.

All cancerous tissue was successfully removed, the White House physician said in a letter, adding that Biden will continue dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing healthcare but the site had healed.

Last month, doctors declared Biden, 80, healthy and “fit for duty” after a physical examination. They said at the time that a small lesion had been removed from his chest and sent for a biopsy.

O’Connor said in the letter that basal cell carcinoma lesions do not tend to spread or metastasize.

Biden’s health is under close scrutiny as he prepares for an expected run for a second presidential term in 2024. His wife Jill Biden has said he plans to run, although a formal declaration of the president’s intentions has yet to be made.

Whether Biden — already the oldest American president ever — should be the party’s candidate is a source of debate among Democrats.

Biden’s three-hour session with doctors in February at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, Maryland, was his second extensive exam since taking office in January 2021.

Opinion

Editorial

Return to the helm
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Return to the helm

With Nawaz Sharif as PML-N president, will we see more grievances being aired?
Unvaxxed & vulnerable
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Unvaxxed & vulnerable

Even deadly mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria have vaccines, but they are virtually unheard of in Pakistan.
Gaza’s hell
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Gaza’s hell

Perhaps Western ‘statesmen’ may moderate their policies if a significant percentage of voters punish them at the ballot box.
Missing links
Updated 27 Apr, 2024

Missing links

As the past decades have shown, the country has not been made more secure by ‘disappearing’ people suspected of wrongdoing.
Freedom to report?
27 Apr, 2024

Freedom to report?

AN accountability court has barred former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife from criticising the establishment...
After Bismah
27 Apr, 2024

After Bismah

BISMAH Maroof’s contribution to Pakistan cricket extends beyond the field. The 32-year old, Pakistan’s...