How Did President Biden’s Prostate Cancer Advance Without Detection?

The recent diagnosis of former United States President Joe Biden with prostate cancer has renewed questions about whether he had been battling the disease while in office and potentially covering it up.

Public doubt has grown, especially as Donald Trump adds his voice to those suggesting a possible cover-up. 

Now, the public, including Donald Trump, is raising concerns, as prostate cancer typically develops gradually over time. In Biden’s case, by the time his office confirmed the diagnosis on Sunday, the disease had already spread to his bones.

Also read: 'Cancer Touches Us All,' Says Former US President Joe Biden After Cancer Diagnosis

Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump expressed doubt about the advanced nature of Biden’s diagnosis.

He said, “I’m surprised that the public wasn’t notified a long time ago, because they get to stage 9, that's a long time. Why did it take so long? This takes a long time. It can take years to reach this level of danger. So, look, it’s a very sad situation. I feel very badly about it. And I think people should try and find out what happened. Somebody is not telling the fact, it's a big problem."

How did President Biden’s prostate cancer advance without detection? All you need to know

Many are questioning how a case of prostate cancer, considered by some experts to be one of the easiest to detect before progressing to bone metastasis, could suddenly progress to a Gleason score of 9, indicating an aggressive and advanced stage.

“While most prostate cancers grow slowly, aggressive varieties like Biden’s can progress and spread much more rapidly. And the PSA test, though valuable, has significant limitations as a screening tool. About 15% of men with prostate cancer will have normal PSA results (false negatives),” Dr. Kavita Patel, a physician and health policy researcher, said in a leading media publication.

“Conversely, elevated PSA levels don’t always indicate cancer. In fact, normal PSA ranges increase with age — what’s concerning at 50 might be acceptable at 80. These complexities explain why universal PSA screening and the interpretation of PSA test results for older men both remain controversial among medical experts.”