Joe Biden Diagnosed with Aggressive Prostate Cancer at Age 82

In a most unexpected turn of events, America’s 82-year-old ex-President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an exceptionally advanced and aggressive prostate cancer. In his office statement, the cancer regrettably already metastasized to his bones, i.e., an equal metastatic stage of the disease. The diagnosis is a landmark in the ex-president’s medical history, having found an illness that, while dangerous, is quite far from rare in older men.

Discovery and Diagnosis

The cancer resulted from a succession of medical examinations precipitated by an unexpected burst of urinary problems usually the initial presentation of prostate problems. A recently found nodule on the prostate had required follow-up. Friday’s diagnosis was that the cancer was aggressive with a Gleason score of 9, Grade Group 5, the most unfavorable negative grade designation to be attributed to prostate cancer grading.

Gleason scoring is a routine test doctors use to determine how fast prostate cancer will progress. The rate 9 suggests the distorted cancerous cells are going to progress and become malignant in the future. Cancer already present in the bones in Biden’s case suggests stage IV prostate cancer.

Nature of the Disease

Worse still than the news itself, the briefing from Biden’s office was that much more optimistic. The type of cancer he has, according to sources, is hormone-sensitive and that even late in its stages the disease can be treated with hormone therapy – a factor in the degree to which the disease can be treated late in its stages.

Hormone-sensitive prostate cancer is treated using drugs that suppress or inhibit the hormones, primarily testosterone, responsible for the proliferation of cancer cells. Therefore, the disease becomes curable even if developed in advanced life.

Prostate cancer begins in the prostate gland – a tiny, walnut-sized gland in a man that secretes seminal fluid. It is the most common cancer of men, especially men 65 years and older. Most prostate cancers develop slowly and don’t leave the gland, but others grow fast and tend to travel to other organs of the body like bones and lymph nodes.

Common Symptoms

Symptoms in the majority of men with advanced-stage prostate cancer. Advanced-stage symptoms include:

• Frequent urination, typically at night
• Difficulty initiating or stopping the flow of urine
• Weak or disorganized flow of urine
• Presence of blood in urine or semen
• Pelvic, back, or hip pain
• Unintended weight loss
• Impotence

Development of these symptoms is typically preceded by further diagnostic examinations, such as blood work (e.g., PSA level), imaging studies, and biopsy.

Treatment Options

Management of advanced and metastatic prostate cancer is not just disease control but also quality of life. As Biden’s cancer is hormone-sensitive, the initial treatment to be administered would be Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT). ADT reduces the level of testosterone or prevents it from talking to the cancer cells and thus retards the growth of the disease.

Other than hormone therapy, other options which may be added are:

• Chemotherapy: To kill cancer cells and shrink the tumor, especially if hormone therapy is not effective against cancer.
• Radiation Therapy: Radiation to the bones can treat bone pain and manage local tumor growth.
• Bone-Strengthening Medications: Bisphosphonate or denosumab medications can be given to delay fractures or bone pain due to metastasis.
• Immunotherapy or Targeted Therapy: In some cases, these newer treatments may be driven by the genetic features of the cancer.

Public Reaction and Support

The news has ignited a firestorm of concern and hope among the public, his political contemporaries, and his supporters. The 46th US President and veteran politician Biden is better known than to be anything else other than resilient. His health had been questionable the last couple of years, and this is just another one to be added to the list of health problems that he has been battling.

As he is being treated, his staff also hopes that the disease would be completely eradicated. Because of Biden’s public life and age, coverage of his diagnosis can also be utilized to remind men and older men in particular to stay up to date on regular medical screenings and cancer tests.

A Broader Health Message

Joe Biden’s diagnosis highlights the overall issue of men’s health, i.e., early detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer. Although the disease can be cured if in early stage, advanced disease always turns out to be fatal. Proper screening, especially in men of at and beyond 50 years or family history of prostate cancer, is required in maximizing survival.

Joe Biden’s diagnosis with a very aggressive, metastatic prostate cancer is a serious health risk. But the cancer’s sensitivity to hormones is an encouraging line of attack and treatment of the cancer. Stepping into this new development in medicine, the former president is as popular as ever, and his history will likely allow the public to take a closer look at one of the most prevalent and deadly forms of male cancer.