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Biden's last prostate cancer blood test was in 2014, spokesperson says

By
Joe Walsh
Senior Editor, Politics
Joe Walsh is a senior editor for digital politics at CBS News. Joe previously covered breaking news for Forbes and local news in Boston.
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Joe Walsh

/ CBS News

Former President Joe Biden received his last known blood test to check for prostate cancer in 2014, a spokesperson said Tuesday — two days after Biden revealed he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

"Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer," the spokesperson added.

Biden turned 72 in 2014, putting him toward the end of the typical age range for prostate cancer screenings. Doctors generally recommend halting routine testing after the age of 70 or 75 because prostate cancer is often slow-growing in older men, and the risks of testing and treatment can outweigh the benefits, CBS News medical contributor Dr. Céline Gounder says.

President Trump on Monday speculated about how long Biden may have had cancer, saying he's "surprised" that "the public wasn't notified a long time ago."

The spokesperson said Biden's 2014 exam — administered when he was vice president — was a prostate specific antigen test, a type of blood test. It's one of two forms of prostate cancer screening, along with a digital rectal exam conducted by a doctor.

Biden in early 2024, during the last year of his presidency. A released at the time by his physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, did not mention testing for prostate cancer, and described him as generally healthy.

In 2019, Biden was diagnosed with benign enlargement of the prostate, a that affects about 80% of men over 70.

The former president was diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer on Friday, his office said Sunday. He was evaluated after a "small nodule" was found in his prostate during a routine exam, his team disclosed earlier this month.

Biden's office said his cancer has a Gleason score of 9 — the second-highest value on the prostate cancer grading system — "with metastasis to the bone." The statement added that "the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management."

Aaron Navarro contributed to this report.

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