Former President Joe Biden recently underwent further medical evaluation after doctors discovered a small nodule on his prostate during a routine physical, a spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday.
The nodule’s discovery was initially reported by The New York Times and has prompted additional testing to determine whether it could be cancerous or benign. Biden’s team has not yet disclosed the results of those follow-up tests.
“In a routine physical exam, a small nodule was found in the prostate which necessitated further evaluation,” the spokesperson said.
Medical experts say nodules on the prostate are not uncommon, but they require thorough assessment.
Dr. Herbert Lepor, a urologist at NYU Langone, told CBS News via email that prostate cancer may present as a hard area on the prostate or through elevated PSA levels. This often leads doctors to order MRIs and prostate biopsies.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in men, second only to skin cancer, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that about 13 out of every 100 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lives.
The CDC also identifies age as the most significant risk factor for developing prostate cancer. “The older a man is, the greater the chance of getting prostate cancer,” the agency says.
Biden, who is 82, left the White House in January after completing his term as the oldest president in U.S. history. His successor, former President Donald Trump, who took office in January at age 78, is now the oldest person to be sworn in as president.
The news of Biden’s evaluation comes ahead of the release of a new book that explores his health during his time in office.
Though Biden has mostly kept a low profile since leaving office, he and his wife, Jill Biden, appeared on The View last week and addressed ongoing speculation about his mental fitness.
“They are wrong,” Biden said of the rumors. “There’s nothing to sustain that.”
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