A lesion removed from President Biden’s chest earlier this month was cancerous, according to a memorandum from White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Friday.
“The biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma, as expected,” the memo says.
“The area around the biopsy site was treated presumptively with electrodessication and curettage,” the memo adds.
Lesions of basal cell carcinoma “have the potential to grow in size, resulting in a more significant issue as well as increased surgical challenges.”
Dr. O’Connor also stated that the biopsy site had “healed nicely” and that the President will continue to be monitored by dermatologists as part of his ongoing comprehensive healthcare.
When did the cancer become apparent?
On February 16, President Biden had a skin lesion removed at Walter Reed National Military Center. According to the memo, the tissue from the dermatologic procedure was sent for traditional biopsy.
What are doctors saying about President Biden?
When doctors discovered the lesion on President Biden’s chest, they treated it with electrodessication and curettage as a precaution.
Electrodessication and curettage is good for treatment of “superficial basal cell and squamous cell cancers as well as some pre-cancerous skin tumors,” according to the American Cancer Society.
The treatment begins with numbing the affected area. The tumor is then scraped away with a curette, a surgical instrument. The area is then treated with an electric needle to eliminate any remaining cancer cells.
Is President Biden a cancer survivor?
According to the New York Times, the President has had several non-melanoma skin cancers removed in the past.
President Biden made a perplexing remark about having cancer during a climate change speech in Somerset, Massachusetts in July 2022. According to the White House transcript, he said at the time:
What’s more, guess what? When the first frost fell, you knew something was up. To get the oil slick off the window, you had to use your windshield wipers. That’s why I and so many other people I grew up with have cancer, and why Delaware had the highest cancer rate in the country for a long time.
What’s more, guess what? When the first frost fell, you knew something was up. To get the oil slick off the window, you had to use your windshield wipers. That’s why I and so many other people I grew up with have cancer, and why Delaware had the highest cancer rate in the country for a long time.
The White House later clarified the President’s remarks, stating that he was referring to previous skin cancers.
What is President Biden’s outlook?
According to Dr. O’Connor’s memo, no further treatment is required, and his doctors will continue to monitor him.
What should you know about basal cell carcinoma?
Basal cell carcinoma lesions, unlike melanoma or squamous cell carcinomas, do not “spread” or metastasize, according to Dr. O’Connor’s report.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, BCC is the most common type of skin cancer and the most frequently occurring. In the United States, an estimated 3.6 million cases are diagnosed each year.
