Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis Sparks Transparency Debate

Former US President Joe Biden’s diagnosis with aggressive prostate cancer has raised questions about whether he deceived the public about his health while in office. Biden’s successor, Donald Trump, has added to the speculation, suggesting a cover-up. Trump expressed surprise that the public wasn’t notified about Biden’s cancer earlier, stating, “I’m surprised that the public wasn’t notified a long time ago. Why did it take so long? This takes a long time. It can take years to get this level of danger.”

The Diagnosis

Biden’s office announced on Sunday that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer that had spread to his bones, with a Gleason score of 9, indicating an aggressive form of the disease. The statement mentioned that Biden experienced increasing urinary symptoms and is reviewing treatment options with his medical team. Late-stage prostate cancer has an average five-year survival rate of 28 percent, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Trump’s Reaction

Trump said he felt “very badly” about Biden’s diagnosis but questioned the timing, suggesting that doctors who examined Biden while in office weren’t telling the facts. “If you take a look, it’s the same doctor that said Joe was cognitively fine, there was nothing wrong with him,” Trump said. “There are things going on that the public wasn’t informed of, and I think somebody is going to have to speak to his doctor.”

Medical Perspectives

Some doctors have questioned the account of Biden’s cancer diagnosis, pointing out that advanced cancer would likely have progressed over several years. Steven Quay, a pathologist, said, “For even with the most aggressive form, it is a 5-7 year journey without treatment before it becomes metastatic.” Howard P Forman, a professor of radiology at Yale University, found it “inconceivable” that Biden’s cancer wasn’t detected earlier, given the Gleason grade 9 diagnosis would have had an elevated PSA level.

However, other experts believe it’s possible for prostate cancer to develop and spread rapidly. Peter Nelson, an oncologist, said, “It is possible for prostate cancer to develop and then spread in a very short time span – by short, within one to two years.” Daniel W Lin, a prostate cancer expert, noted that while Biden likely had cancer for years, it’s possible he wasn’t given a PSA test, which is not always recommended for men over 70 or 75.

Biden’s Response

Biden expressed gratitude for well-wishers’ support, saying, “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support”.