President Joe Biden’s health has faced fresh criticism after the 80-year-old President disclosed he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. His office said that the diagnosis was confirmed on Friday after he went to a local hospital due to urinary symptoms. At 82, the president’s health would quickly become a central issue. As he prepares for the 2024 election, this surprising announcement raises some questions that need to be asked.
Before this diagnosis, Joe Biden had never had prostate cancer diagnosed. His aides later noted that he does have a history of benign prostate enlargement. In 2014, he received a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test. In 2019, a medical report released by his campaign stated that Biden received treatment for his prostate condition but had never had cancer. His most recent diagnosis represents a complete turnaround in his fortunes.
For oncologist Dr. Robert Figlin, the news coming from Biden’s camp rang familiar, as did the speculation that followed. He acknowledged that the aggressiveness of the cancer is not uncommon. At the same time, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel was saying that Biden might have had cancer for a while without knowing it. He suggested that the same president probably carried the disease into his first term at the start of 2021.
As Dr. Chris George said at the time, I couldn’t agree more with that. He claimed that the former vice president probably had cancer when he assumed the presidency. What’s troubling is the timing of his diagnosis. Currently, U.S. medical guidelines do not recommend routine blood screenings for men older than 70 since prostate cancers usually develop slowly.
For Biden’s administration, challenge looms at every turn. It raises serious questions given alarming reports that his staff are attempting to conceal other deteriorating health problems from the American public. These disclosures come as many Americans are rightly questioning whether the president is physically and mentally up to serving the country in his position.
“Biden’s physical deterioration – most apparent in his halting walk – had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn’t do so until after the election.” – Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson
Biden’s recent announcement that he’s been diagnosed with prostate cancer has renewed concern about his health and fitness to serve. Predictably, critics wasted no time in questioning whether he’s in good enough health to carry out the duties of president. Senator Chris Murphy said it was a big mistake for Democrats to not listen to voters’ concerns before.
Check out what former President Donald Trump had to say about the whole ordeal. He seemed most surprised that the public had not been notified earlier.
“I think it is very sad actually. I am surprised that the public wasn’t notified a long time ago.” – Donald Trump
He underlined the alarming nature of the crisis. He acknowledged it might take quite a while for these circumstances to develop.
“It could take years to get to this level of danger. So look, it’s a very, very sad situation. I feel very badly about it, and I think people should try and find out what happened.” – Donald Trump
Biden’s apparent mental and physical decline has been closely scrutinized since the start of his presidency. Despite a normal blood test within the past year, many find it difficult to reconcile this with his recent diagnosis. Given the lack of transparency with his health status, the contradiction between these results begs even more questions.
Prostate cancer is a serious public health problem. Yet, as the Cleveland Clinic notes, it is the second most common cancer in men. With Biden’s administration now approaching fateful decisions related to the 2024 election, his health will be front and center. Both political allies and adversaries will be watching it closely.
Leave a Reply