Jill Biden Shares Candid Update On Joe Biden’s Stage 4 Cancer
Jill Biden says she does not know whether former President Joe Biden could have completed a second term after his stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis.
People reported that the former first lady, 74, made the comments during an appearance on MS Now’s Morning Joe. She was asked about her husband, 83, and whether he would have been fit to carry out presidential duties if he had been re-elected. Her answer was plain. “I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that.”
In the same coverage, Jill Biden also spoke about whether the cancer could have been caught sooner. She said the Bidens had “amazing healthcare in the White House,” but added that “somehow this was missed.” She said doctors followed guidelines from the American Urological Association, and “they didn’t do the PSA.”
That led to the harder part of her update. Joe Biden’s prostate cancer had reached stage 4 and had metastasized to his bones. Jill Biden said that made the diagnosis “a whole different story,” adding that she believes her husband will live with cancer for the rest of his life.
What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer starts in the prostate, a small gland in men that helps make part of the fluid in semen.
The Mayo Clinic states that prostate cancer may not cause symptoms early, which is one reason it can be missed until it becomes more advanced.
Symptoms can include trouble urinating, leaking urine, back pain, bone pain, erectile dysfunction, tiredness, unexplained weight loss, or weakness in the arms or legs.
Not every symptom means cancer. Still, those are not things to ignore, especially for older men.
What does Stage 4 mean?
Stage 4 prostate cancer means the disease has spread beyond the prostate. The National Cancer Institute explains that metastatic cancer is cancer that has moved from where it started to another part of the body.
That does not mean treatment stops. It means the disease is more serious, and the goal often shifts toward controlling the cancer, slowing its spread, treating symptoms, and helping the person live as well as possible.
The American Cancer Society states that prostate cancer that spreads to the bones can cause pain in the hips, back, ribs, or other areas. It can also lead to weakness, numbness, or bladder and bowel control problems if cancer in the spine presses on the spinal cord.
A prostate cancer diagnosis is serious on its own, but cancer in the bones changes the whole picture.
Jill Biden said her husband is “doing okay.” In the interview she described him as still making speeches, riding Amtrak a couple of times a month, and keeping a schedule.
Symptoms that should not be brushed aside
Men should talk to a doctor if they notice trouble urinating, a weak stream, blood in the urine or semen, unexplained weight loss, lasting tiredness, bone pain, back pain, hip pain, leg weakness, numbness, or new bladder or bowel control issues.
No one should panic over one symptom. But waiting and hoping it goes away is not a plan. For men over 50, and especially men with higher risk or family history, prostate health is worth discussing with a doctor.
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