Things to know about Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis

Former President Joe Biden s office declared Sunday that he has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer and is reviewing remedy options with his doctors Biden was having increasing urinary effects and was seen last week by doctors who located a prostate nodule On Friday he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and the cancer cells have spread to the bone his office explained in a announcement When caught early prostate cancer is highly survivable but it is also the second-leading cause of cancer death in men About one in eight men will be diagnosed over their lifetime with prostate cancer according to the American Cancer Society Here are specific things to know about prostate cancer that has spread What is the prostate gland The prostate is part of the reproductive system in men It makes fluid for semen It s located below the bladder and it wraps around the urethra the tube that carries urine and semen out through the penis How serious is Biden s cancer Biden s cancer has spread to the bone his office announced That makes it more serious than localized or early-stage prostate cancer Outcomes have improved in newest decades and patients can expect to live with metastatic prostate cancer for four or five years disclosed Dr Matthew Smith of Massachusetts General Brigham Cancer Center It s very treatable but not curable Smith explained What are the medication options Prostate cancer can be treated with drugs that lower levels of hormones in the body or stop them from getting into prostate cancer cells The drugs can slow down the rise of cancer cells The majority men in this situation would be treated with drugs and would not be advised to have either surgery or radiation therapy Smith reported What is a Gleason figure Prostate cancers are graded for aggressiveness using what s known as a Gleason count The scores range from to with and prostate cancers behaving more aggressively Biden s office noted his result was suggesting his cancer is among the majority aggressive The Associated Press Vitality and Science Department receives promotion from the Howard Hughes Health Institute s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content Source