Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, as per the information released by his office and further explained by Dr. Steven Brooks, a Urologist with Orlando Health Medical Group, in an interview with WESH 2's Jason Guy. The cancer, which has spread to his bones, scores a nine on the Gleason scale, indicating a high level of aggressiveness, though according to Brooks, it is "not a death sentence."
Dr. Brooks stated during the interview that prostate cancer is controllable and manageable, even for cases as severe as Biden's, whose disease has been labeled aggressive due to the spread and Gleason score, where a score of 6 is considered low-grade. A 10 signifies the most aggressive cancers. Biden's office acknowledged in a statement detailed by WFTV that while his form of the disease represents a more aggressive type, the cancer appears hormone-sensitive, which leads to a range of effective management options.
As for treatment, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), also known as hormone therapy, could be considered for the former president; this was a point made clear by Dr. Brooks. Metastasized prostate cancer poses treatment challenges because it often spreads to the bones and is difficult for drugs to reach all affected areas. Yet, hormone-sensitive cancers like Biden's are more amenable to hormone deprivation treatments.
.jpg){kind=link}