Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis Raises Questions About His Health Transparency

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) — Former U.S. President Joe Biden‘s recent cancer diagnosis has sparked renewed scrutiny regarding his health during his time in office. Biden’s office announced on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.

According to the statement from Biden’s office, he experienced increasing urinary symptoms before being diagnosed with cancer on Friday. The Gleason score of his cancer is 9, indicating a highly aggressive type. Doctors have indicated that late-stage prostate cancer typically carries a five-year survival rate of only 28 percent.

In light of this news, former President Donald Trump expressed skepticism regarding Biden’s transparency about his health. During a press briefing on Monday, Trump questioned why the public was not informed sooner about the diagnosis. “This takes a long time. It can take years to get this level of danger,” Trump said, referring to the seriousness of Biden’s diagnosis. He added that some doctors who examined Biden while he was in office were “not telling the facts.”

Biden took to social media to express gratitude for the support he has received. “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,” he wrote.

Critics, including some medical professionals, have raised concerns about how such an advanced stage of cancer was not detected earlier, during Biden’s presidency. Dr. Howard Forman, a radiology professor at Yale University, noted that a Gleason score of 9 typically comes with elevated PSA levels, suggesting that Biden should have undergone routine screenings.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a former White House COVID-19 advisor, stated, “He did not develop it in the last 100-200 days. He had it while he was president.” Despite regular health check-ups noted in Biden’s medical reports, there was no mention of prostate cancer screening.

The circumstances surrounding Biden’s diagnosis coincide with the upcoming release of a new book detailing alleged health-related cover-ups by his administration. Critics within both parties are questioning the transparency of Biden’s health while he served as president, particularly as he sought reelection in 2024.

As of now, Biden and his family are reportedly reviewing treatment options with his medical team. The revelations regarding his health continue to invoke both sympathy and scrutiny from various quarters.