WASHINGTON – Former United States President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.
As the diagnosis of 82-year-old is concerning and doctors called the disease not treatable at this stage, medical experts say recent advances in treatment offer real hope.
The octogenarian politician visited medical facility after experiencing urinary symptoms. Though experts suggest those symptoms were likely unrelated to the cancer, follow-up exams, including a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test and an MRI, led to the discovery of the serious disease.
As doctors are not considering surgery, modern treatments can allow patients like Biden with bone metastases to live for more. In case if the surgical method is not viable, patients are treated with hormone-blocking drugs to suppress any residual hormone production.
For patients with extensive bone involvement, additional therapies such as chemotherapy or radiation may be used.
