Joe Biden, 82, undergoing new treatment for 'aggressive' cancer that's spread to his bones
Joe Biden is set to have a new treatment to address the prostate cancer he was diagnosed with earlier this year.
Former US president Joe Biden announced earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with cancer and he has now given another health update about his condition.
The 82-year-old Biden announced back in May, that he was suffering with prostate cancer.
His personal office issued this statement at the time: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.
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"On Friday he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone."
Prostate cancers are given a score called a Gleason score, which measures, on a scale of one to 10, how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. A score of nine suggests that the cancer is among the most 'aggressive'.
More recently, a spokesperson for Biden announced on October 11 that he will undergo radiation therapy to treat his aggressive form of cancer.
The spokesperson said: "As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment."
According to a Mail Online report, the radiation will last five weeks and Biden has already begun taking the hormone medication pill.
As part of the initial announcement that Biden had cancer, his team noted that it was considered aggressive.
The statement from May continued: “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management.
"The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians."
Biden also spoke about his upcoming treatment back in May.
He said: “It's all a matter of taking a pill, one particular pill, for the next six weeks and then another one.
"Well, the prognosis is good. You know, we're working on everything. It's moving along. So I feel good.”
Biden also shared a picture of himself his wife, Jill, and their cat and commented in the caption that ‘cancer touches us all’ while also thanking those for offering kind words and support.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Gerrard Kaonga