The White House on Friday said that United States President Joe Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed last month, during his routine health screening. The president in the beginning of February had a physical exam which the White House said found him healthy and “fit for duty.”
According to Guardian, Biden’s physician Kevin O’Connor in a letter released to the press said, “all cancerous tissue was successfully removed. The area around the biopsy site was treated presumptively with electrodessication and curettage at the time of the biopsy. No further treatment is required.”
However, the 80-year-old fit president has healed nicely after the treatment and will continue dermatologic surveillance as a part of his healthcare, the doctor added.
The letter also mentioned that the type of cancer found- basal cell carcinoma does not spread generally.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said basal and squamous cell carcinoma are the two most common types of skin cancer in the US.
The US Skin Cancer Foundation said that almost 3.6 million Americana are diagnosed every year with basal, and it is the most frequently occurring form of all cancers, BBC reported.
Biden had several non-melanoma skin cancers removed in the past before he became the president of the US.
Similarly, back in January, First Lady Jill Biden had three lesions removed, with two of them later tested positive for basal cell carcinoma.
Doctors advise that the best way to prevent skin cancer is to cover up and wear sunscreen lotions, even during winters.
This comes as the president is all set to announce his run for the 2024 elections.
(With inputs from agencies)
