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Tag Archives: Cancer
White House Reveals DJ Daniel ‘Facing Three New Tumors’
The White House revealed that 13-year-old DJ Daniel, who was made an honorary Secret Service agent in March during President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress, was “facing three new tumors.”
In a post on X, the White Houe account described Devarjaye, known as “DJ,” as being “one of the strongest, bravest young men.” The White House added that DJ was a “true legend.”
“We’re lifting up Agent DJ Daniel in prayer after his dad, Theodis, shared that DJ is now facing three new tumors,” the White House said. “DJ is one of the strongest, bravest young men—and has now been sworn into 1,351 law enforcement agencies across the country.”
In an interview with Fox7 News, DJ’s dad, Theodis, revealed they were “winging it day by day” and shared that his son had “three new tumors.”
“It’s rough, there isn’t a class that can teach you how to deal with it,” Theodis told the outlet. “You’re hearing that your child has a nasty disease.”
The outlet noted that DJ, who has been sworn as an honorary police officer at thousands of agencies across the United States, was sworn into the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office in Texas — representing the 1,351st swearing-in ceremony.
Breitbart News previously reported that during Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress, he revealed that Secret Service Director Sean Curran was to “officially make” DJ an honorary Secret Service agent.
“DJ, we’re going to do you the biggest honor of them all,” Trump said. “I am asking our new Secret Service Director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service.”
Breitbart News previously reported that DJ was six years old when he was first diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer.
In a recent Instagram video, DJ revealed that he has had 13 surgeries. DJ also encouraged kids with cancer to “have faith, believe in God” and to listen to their parents.
Is pollution from the steel industry behind cancer rates in Gary, Indiana?
Doctors, environmental groups and residents are trying to figure out if there is a causal connection between pollutants from the steel industry and rates of cancer in Gary, Indiana.
Pollutants you can see, and tiny particulates you can’t, come from different types of industry in the Gary region. But according to Environmental Protection Agency records, steel production plants release the most toxins of all the industries in the region.
Beryl Fitzpatrick is one of the residents affected. You can hear the cancer as she speaks.
“I was having trouble swallowing,” she recalled.
Fitzpatrick was diagnosed with Stage 3 tongue cancer. She didn’t know if she would ever speak again after doctors removed part of her tongue while removing a cancerous tumor, but she fought to keep her voice.
“I had to learn phonics. I had to learn, I had to learn words and sounds,” she said. “It was humbling.”
And she knows the very air in her own backyard could be playing a role in her disease.
“It’s almost certain that her place of residence, with the high pollution and other industrial output contributed to her cancer,” said Dr. Kerstin Stenson, lead of the head and neck cancer program at Rush University Medical Center who’s been treating Fitzpatrick.
The City of Gary was built by the steel industry, but when families like Fitzpatrick’s moved to the region in droves from the South during the Great Migration for jobs and opportunities, they didn’t know as much as we do now about the health risks linked to industrial production.
“A lot of the teachers would talk about students that had asthma,” Fitzpatrick said.
Seven major coal-powered steel production plants operate in the United States. Three plants are clustered in the Gary region: Burns Harbor, Gary Works and Indiana Harbor.
CBS News Chicago Investigators dug into state and federal data from the Environmental Protection Agency to see how these facilities impact the community.
Our investigation found that in 2023, the latest data available, the three mills emitted 25 million pounds of toxins, more industrial pollution than the combined toxic release of the four similar mills in other states.
“We do not need to sacrifice health and communities to make steel,” said Hilary Lewis, a director of Industrial Labs.
Industrial Labs, a nonprofit environmental organization, released a report in October 2024 detailing its findings on the steel industry’s impact on the community.
“The people in Northwest Indiana are bearing the brunt of the coal-based steel industry today,” she said.
The study found people living near one steel production facility have a 12% to 26% higher risk of getting cancer. People in Gary live near three.
And cancer isn’t the only health risk associated with this kind of industrial exposure.
Industrial Labs’ study found people living in Gary are in the top 10% of the nation at risk for developing asthma. Even Gary Mayor Eddie Melton grew up with asthma, and the irony of the steel industry that built the city now being the thing making people sick is not lost on him.
“I mean, that’s a stark reality that a lot of folks have to deal with,” Melton said.
The mayor wants this dealt with, in part, by toughening toxic emissions standards. But that may not happen; in March, the federal EPA announced it’s considering lowering some standards polluters must meet.
“What we’re seeing from a federal and state government concerns me, in terms of rolling back the regulations on industries such as the steel industry, and other industries,” Mayor Melton said.
Gary already fails to meet federal air quality standards. Lake County, Indiana has more toxic releases than 99% of all other counties across the country, and the state ranks second in the nation for the most industrial pollution released per square mile.
So what is the EPA doing for the people of Gary?
“They’re responsible for protecting clean air,” Lewis said. “And right now, they’re not doing that.”
CBS News Chicago Investigatiors dug into EPA records dating back to 1977 and found that since then the EPA took 152 formal actions against the steel production facilities. Nearly half of those actions were for violating the Clean Air Act. For those air pollution violations, regulators issued more than $23 million in penalties paid by the parent companies.
“If you’re a multi-billion-dollar corporation, fees and fines probably are just a drop in the bucket for you,” Melton said.
Both the state and federal EPA declined interviews but sent statements saying they act when facilities are out of compliance, and those actions have reduced air emissions.
Fitzpatrick lives about 43 blocks from the largest steel mill in the nation, and we found they released more pollutants than any other steel or iron mill tracked by the EPA across the country.
More than half the industrial pollution in Lake County comes from Gary Works, which is owned by U.S Steel.
U.S. Steel declined an interview, but responded to questions by email, saying the EPA’s data includes byproducts “legally emitted,” and said they have systems in place to comply with environmental regulations.
In regards to the Industrial Labs report, U.S. Steel said it was “designed to create media attention rather than reach any scientific conclusions.”
Fitzpatrick has lived in Gary for 60 of her 71 years, never fully knowing what she was exposed to.
“I didn’t think I was living a lifestyle that was polluting my body,” she said.
She wasn’t. Dr. Stenson said Fitzpatrick doesn’t have the typical risk factors for her cancer. And she’s not alone.
“There are many patients that have come from that industrial area that would present with head and neck cancer without risk factors,” Stenson said.
Gary has been notorious for its pollution for decades.
Dr. Mihir Bhayani, also at Rush University Medical Center, is getting closer to directly linking air pollution and some cancers. The new research he is working on could force change.
“What we are working on currently is, again, a direct causal link between air pollution and head and neck cancer,” he said.
He believes steel mills are making people sick in Gary, and he wants to see emissions standards toughened.
“So that individuals who are living in those areas, they’re exposed to the same clean air that individuals who are living in more affluent areas are,” he said.
“The types of communities that this industry is impacting are disproportionately people of color and low-income communities,” said Lewis.
More than 76% of Gary’s population is Black, and the average income is less than $23,000 a year.
About four hours away from Gary by car is the steel plant in Middletown, Ohio. It’s getting a major portion of a $500 million federal grant to change the steel-making process and cut hazardous pollution in that city, which has an average income of $30,000 a year and is 73% white.
Fitzpatrick believes more would be done to keep the air clean and her community healthy if Gary’s demographics were different.
“I am worthy. No matter what you think about my Black skin, my dark skin, I’m worthy. I’m worthy for this community to be cleaned up and I am a person worthy of a good life,” she said.
Gary and other communities found to be disproportionately impacted by pollution were getting extra help from the federal EPA’s Environmental Justice office, but in April it was labeled a DEI program and shut down.
If nothing is done, Bhayani said, there will be long-term effects on people living in communities like Gary.
“They are going to have higher rates of cancer. They’re going to have higher rates of cardiac disease. They’re going to have high rates of lung disease,” Bhayani said.
That’s why Fitzgerald, who fought for her voice while still battling the disease that nearly took it, said she’ll do whatever it takes to make change here so that it can be different for someone else.
“As long as I have breath and I can breathe and I have strength to get up, I’m going to join other people, like-minded people. We’re going to fight. We’re going to fight,” she said.
Cleveland Cliffs, which owns two of the plants in Northwest Indiana, did not return messages from CBS News Chicago Investigators. U.S. Steel maintains its work is essential to the health of the American economy.
But Fitzgerald and others who live there worry about their own health, and they’re asking lawmakers to step up and join their fight for cleaner air.
The CBS News Race & Culture Unit and CBS News Data team contributed to this report.
FULL STATEMENTS
U.S. Steel
On whether they have studied the impact of releases from Gary Works and the health effects, including cancer and asthma, in the community:
“In 2020, the EPA deemed that there was an ample margin of safety around iron and steel emissions to protect public health and prevent adverse environmental effects.”
It is important to note that there are many industrial facilities in Northwest Indiana. Focusing solely on Gary Works as a source of pollution is both incorrect and irresponsible.
On the study released by Industrial Labs:
“It is clear that these conclusions were pre-determined by a group that describes itself as ‘scaling campaigns and building a movement to clean up heavy industry’, which is to say that this document is designed to create media attention rather than reach any scientific conclusions. There are certain interests campaigning to eliminate U.S.-based blast furnaces, which are essential to national security and the health of America’s economy because they are the only facilities capable of making certain types and qualities of steels required for critical applications.”
On residents believing toxic releases would not be allowed at the same level in more affluent communities with different demographics:
“Federal and state emissions laws and regulations apply equally to any municipality in the same jurisdiction. Gary, Indiana, is no exception. We care deeply about the communities where we live and work, as evidenced by the contributions by the Company and our employees. Since 2020, U. S. Steel Gary Works and its employees have donated over $1.3 million dollars to community organizations and efforts. In addition, our dedicated employees volunteer countless hours of their time to organizations and schools across the area. Our more than 3,400 Gary Works employees put safety and environmental compliance first. We are proud of their work and the Northwest Indiana community we call home.”
“In addition to our spend on environmental compliance and community investment and engagement, we were the only U.S. Metals, Minerals and Mining company recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2025– the fourth consecutive year we received this designation. It is a testament to our commitment to ethical conduct and compliance.”
“Gary Works was built in 1908, and the city was built around it. Any notion that we select certain areas to operate because of their demographics is wholly incorrect.”
On state and federal EPA fines, violations and consent decrees:
“U. S. Steel spends more than $80 million annually on environmental controls in Indiana as part of its commitment to environmental excellence. The EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory, from which this data is drawn, includes manufacturing byproducts that are legally emitted under the EPA’s stringent regulations and those which are legally disposed of in permitted landfills. As the nation’s largest integrated steelmaking facility, it is common sense that U. S. Steel’s Gary Works will have more legally allowed releases than smaller iron or steel mills in the country.”
Additional comment on emissions controls and other projects:
“U. S. Steel has robust systems and emissions control equipment at all levels of the steelmaking process to adhere to environmental regulations.
At Gary Works, our processes and environmental controls are monitored extensively by our teams. Third parties are also used for sampling water and for opacity observation to ensure compliance with regulations.
Our partnership with CarbonFree is one of the ways we’re working to reduce emissions. This carbon capture and utilization project will help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions by converting emissions to calcium carbonate, which is used in a variety of products for consumers and industry. Gary Works also produces Pig Iron, an important feedstock for U. S. Steel’s electric arc furnaces. The Company is on track to meet its goal of 20% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030 goal and has a goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.”
Indiana Department of Environmental Management
IDEM is not a health agency nor a legislative body. IDEM is also not involved in local zoning decisions that determine where businesses are located.
IDEM is responsible for implementing and enforcing existing federal and state environmental regulations. This includes issuing operating permits that ensure businesses comply with applicable environmental standards and conducting routine inspections to monitor compliance. When facilities are found to be out of compliance, IDEM can initiate enforcement actions or refer cases for further legal or administrative review.
The U.S. EPA does require states to submit a state implementation plan (SIP) for areas in nonattainment within its borders. You can find more information on the SIPs for Lake and Porter counties here: https://www.in.gov/idem/sips/
In 2013, IDEM conducted an assessment of air toxics in the industrialized area of Lake and Porter County. The complete Lakeshore Air Toxics Study is available here: https://www.in.gov/idem/toxic/studies/lakeshore-air-toxics-study. The study found air toxics concentrations and risk within the lakeshore area to be similar to comparable communities, and the most significant risk is attributable to mobile sources (motor vehicles). In the time since the study, technological advances and pollution prevention strategies have led to a further decline in industrial emissions.
We recognize that air quality is a deeply important issue for Northwest Indiana residents and remain committed to our responsibilities under the Clean Air Act and other applicable laws. For more specific responses to questions involving federal enforcement actions, health data, or proposed changes to emission standards, we encourage you to follow up directly with the U.S. EPA.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA is fulfilling its mission to protect human health and the environment. The agency works with our state partners to ensure industrial facilities comply with all environmental laws and regulations.
EPA performs on-site and off-site inspections to ensure compliance. If noncompliance is found, EPA takes action. EPA has issued three recent Clean Air Act enforcement settlements, which have significantly reduced air emissions. In Burns Harbor, Cleveland Cliffs BOF steel making shop and Phoenix Global slag processing companies and in Gary, the U.S. Steel Gary Works’ blast furnace have all decreased particulate matter and metal hazardous air pollutants to the atmosphere. Our state partner, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, also conducts inspections and enforcement actions.
Previous compliance and enforcement work, including inspections and enforcement activity, can be found in EPA’s ECHO system. You can search by location or by facility. Keep in mind that the integrated iron and steel mills that you reference may have contractors on site that have separate permits and emissions reporting.
The northern portions of Lake and Porter Counties are part of a larger Chicago area that was found to be out of compliance with the ground-level ozone (or “smog”) standard. Ozone high in the atmosphere protects people from harmful ultraviolet rays but at ground-level it can trigger a variety of health problems, such as lung irritation.
To learn more about attainment areas, visit our website.
Planned Parenthood affiliate to close 4 clinics in Minnesota and 4 in Iowa over federal funding cuts
Four Planned Parenthood clinics in Minnesota and four of the six in Iowa will shut down in a year, the Midwestern affiliate operating them said Friday, blaming a freeze in federal funds, budget cuts proposed in Congress and state restrictions on abortion.
Two of the Minnesota clinics closing are in the Twin Cities area, in Apple Valley and Richfield. The others are in Alexandria and Bemidji.
According to Planned Parenthood North Central States, the four closing in Iowa include the only Planned Parenthood facility in the state that provides abortion procedures, in Ames, home to Iowa State University. The others are in Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and the Des Moines suburb of Urbandale.
The Planned Parenthood affiliate said it would lay off 66 employees and ask 37 additional employees to move to different clinics. The organization also said it plans to keep investing in telemedicine services and sees 20,000 patients a year virtually. The affiliate serves five states — Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
“We have been fighting to hold together an unsustainable infrastructure as the landscape shifts around us and an onslaught of attacks continues,” Ruth Richardson, the affiliate’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
Of the remaining 15 clinics operated by Planned Parenthood North Central States, six will provide abortion procedures — five of them in Minnesota. The other clinic is in Omaha, Nebraska.
The affiliate said that in April, the Trump administration froze $2.8 million in federal funds for Minnesota to provide birth control and other services, such as cervical cancer screenings and testing for sexually transmitted diseases.
While federal funds can’t be used for most abortions, abortion opponents have long argued that Planned Parenthood affiliates should not receive any taxpayer dollars, saying the money still indirectly underwrites abortion services.
Planned Parenthood North Central States also cited proposed cuts in Medicaid, which provides health coverage for low-income Americans, as well as a Trump administration proposal to eliminate funding for teenage pregnancy prevention programs.
In addition, Republican-led Iowa last year banned most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant, causing the number performed there to drop 60% in the first six months the law was in effect and dramatically increasing the number of patients traveling to Minnesota and Nebraska.
After the closings, Planned Parenthood North Central States will operate 10 brick-and-mortar clinics in Minnesota, two in Iowa, two in Nebraska, and one in South Dakota. It operates none in North Dakota, though its Moorhead, Minnesota, clinic is across the Red River from Fargo, North Dakota.
contributed to this report.
Biden’s last prostate cancer blood test was in 2014, spokesperson says
Former President Joe Biden received his last known blood test to check for prostate cancer in 2014, a spokesperson said Tuesday — two days after Biden revealed he has an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
“Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer,” the spokesperson added.
Biden turned 72 in 2014, putting him toward the end of the typical age range for prostate cancer screenings. Doctors generally recommend halting routine testing after the age of 70 or 75 because prostate cancer is often slow-growing in older men, and the risks of testing and treatment can outweigh the benefits, CBS News medical contributor Dr. Céline Gounder says.
President Trump on Monday speculated about how long Biden may have had cancer, saying he’s “surprised” that “the public wasn’t notified a long time ago.”
The spokesperson said Biden’s 2014 exam — administered when he was vice president — was a prostate specific antigen test, a type of blood test. It’s one of two forms of prostate cancer screening, along with a digital rectal exam conducted by a doctor.
Biden had a physical in early 2024, during the last year of his presidency. A six-page report released at the time by his physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, did not mention testing for prostate cancer, and described him as generally healthy.
In 2019, Biden was diagnosed with benign enlargement of the prostate, a very common condition that affects about 80% of men over 70.
The former president was diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer on Friday, his office said Sunday. He was evaluated after a “small nodule” was found in his prostate during a routine exam, his team disclosed earlier this month.
Biden’s office said his cancer has a Gleason score of 9 — the second-highest value on the prostate cancer grading system — “with metastasis to the bone.” The statement added that “the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.”
contributed to this report.
Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” hit by Trump’s cuts to research at Harvard and Columbia
Steep cuts to federal medical research grants this year have now disrupted millions in awards once backed by former President Joe Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, after the Trump administration froze funding to Columbia University and Harvard University over their handling of campus protests about the war in Gaza.
Biden revealed Sunday he has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer. His “Moonshot” initiative was already personal because his son Beau died of brain cancer.
Multiple cancer scientists at Harvard University say they have seen their National Institutes of Health funding evaporate in recent weeks due to the funding freeze.
“We are not allowed to charge anything on these grants and I understand that Harvard hasn’t been reimbursed for any charges to these grants for at least 30 days,” Joan Brugge, professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School, told CBS News in an email.
Brugge said the university had informed her that her research into mutations linked to breast cancer, as well as studying the recurrence of ovarian cancer, was among some 350 federal grants terminated at Harvard Medical School.
Harvard bioengineering professor David Mooney said all cancer research funding from NIH’s National Cancer Institute for his team had also been cut off, including multiple grants to post-doctoral research fellows.
The Trump administration also terminated millions awarded for developing anti-cancer immunity at the university’s immuno-engineering center, which was launched in 2020 as part of the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative. Mooney’s lab was the first to engineer an “implantable biomaterial cancer vaccine” to retrain the immune system to destroy cancer cells, the university says.
“This will dramatically diminish our ability to make progress in developing cancer immunotherapies,” Mooney said in an email.
Under versions of the cancer initiative launched by Biden first as vice president in 2016 — and later rebooted in 2022 after he was elected president — the federal government poured more than $1 billion into a broad array of research, prevention and treatment projects.
That money came largely from the 21st Century Cures Act passed by Congress in 2016, which went to more than 100 different institutions. It included millions awarded to support the work of cancer centers around the country.
That also included a long-running award to support the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Now federal records show the award to support Columbia’s cancer center has also been terminated.
“Anti-Semitism — like racism — is a spiritual and moral malady that sickens societies and kills people with lethalities comparable to history’s most deadly plagues,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a March statement, announcing plans to look for cuts to Columbia’s funding.
The Trump administration has targeted universities for their handling of pro-Palestinian protests on campus, alleging they let antisemitism go unchecked, which the universities dispute.
NIH records show the money at Columbia’s cancer center had gone to a broad array of projects, ranging from clinical studies to administrative costs.
Beyond the Trump administration’s cuts to Columbia and Harvard, one other award directly linked to the Biden cancer initiative is also listed as terminated: a project funded at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute to “address cancer disparities among Indigenous sexual and gender minority populations” with films, outreach and illustrations.
Other projects funded by NIH’s National Cancer Institute have also had their funding canceled after officials deemed they ran afoul of other White House executive orders that took aim at topics like “gender ideology extremism” and “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs.
Support and communications staff at the cancer institute were also not spared in Kennedy and DOGE’s layoffs earlier this year.
Senate Democrats have criticized Kennedy and President Trump for cuts to NIH’s grants this year, which they said in a report amounts to at least $15.1 million in cancer funding lost.
“Trump’s war on science is an attack against anyone who has ever loved someone with cancer,” Sen. Bernie Sanders said earlier this month.
Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis raises questions about screening and how the disease spreads
Former President Joe Biden’s diagnosis with an advanced stage of prostate cancer that has metastasized, or spread, to his bones prompted an outpouring of concern and questions about his condition. Those questions include how long the cancer may have taken to develop and whether he was screened for it during earlier checkups.
While it’s unclear exactly how long Biden has had cancer, its rapid spread is attributed to it being an aggressive form of the disease. His cancer was categorized as having a Gleason score of 9, which places him in Grade Group 5, the most severe category. The Gleason score is a system for grading the severity of prostate cancer based on analysis of cell samples under a microscope.
When prostate cancer is more advanced and spreads, the bones are among the areas most likely to be affected. It can also commonly spread to the lymph nodes, liver or lungs, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Unfortunately, late-stage cancer diagnoses are not uncommon. A 2014 analysis from Cancer Research UK, for example, found that 46% of all cancers in that country were diagnosed at an advanced stage. A 2023 study published in the journal Lancet Oncology found disruptions in care amid the pandemic also led to an increase in late-stage diagnoses across nearly all cancer types, including prostate.
Slower-growing cancers can take years to develop and be detected, while more aggressive ones can become apparent more rapidly and also spread to other parts of the body quicker.
Biden, who is now 82, did not undergo prostate cancer screening during his last medical checkup while in office, in February 2024, according to records released at the time. Experts say this is likely due to that fact that these screenings are not routinely recommended for men 70 years or older.
“Doctors will stop screening for prostate cancer at 75 or so, because after that, the prostate cancers you typically pick up are very slow growing, and so the harms of all of the testing and treatment for something that may not kill you — you’re talking about risk versus benefit. It may not be worth the risk,” Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, explained on “CBS Mornings” Monday.
Instead, Biden’s diagnosis came after he recently saw a doctor due to urinary symptoms. A small nodule was found in the prostate, which necessitated further evaluation, his office said last week.
“Urinary symptoms are quite common in older men and are usually due to benign conditions like having an enlarged prostate,” Gounder said. In this case, however, the testing discovered cancer.
Gounder said the situation underscores the importance of tailoring medical decisions to the individual.
“He had new symptoms and is functionally active, which justified a closer look,” she said.
There have been advancements in treating advanced prostate cancer, and Gounder said the treatment goal in a case like this would be to control the cancer, slowing its progression and preserving quality of life. Biden’s type of cancer is hormone-sensitive, which means it should respond to a testosterone-blocking treatment, Gounder said, adding that this might be combined with other medications or chemotherapy, depending on the specific case.
Back in 2019, Biden was diagnosed with benign enlargement of the prostate, or BPH. That December, his campaign released his medical evaluation, which noted: “This patient has been treated for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). This was initially treated with medication and was then definitively treated with surgery. He has never had prostate cancer.”
BPH is very common in older men, with around 80% of men over 70 having it, according to Yale Medicine.
How do doctors screen for prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer testing typically involves two methods: a prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test and a digital rectal exam, or DRE. A PSA test is a type of blood test that can indicate a higher chance of prostate cancer but is not a definitive diagnosis. A DRE involves a doctor using a gloved finger to feel for any bumps on the prostate via the rectum.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of national experts, say the decision on screening for prostate cancer among men aged 55 to 69 years should be an individual one — and it recommends against PSA screening for men 70 and older.
“Many men will experience potential harms of screening, including false-positive results that require additional testing and possible prostate biopsy; overdiagnosis and overtreatment; and treatment complications, such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction,” the task force’s recommendation summary notes. “Clinicians should not screen men who do not express a preference for screening.”
Prostate cancer is common, second only to skin cancer as the most common cancer affecting males, according to the Cleveland Clinic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every 100 males, 13 will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives.
Trump on Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis: Wishing Him a ‘Successful Recovery’
President Donald Trump responded to the news that former President Joe Biden had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and wished him a “fast and successful recovery.”
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Trump’s post comes after Biden’s personal office issued a statement revealing that the former president had been diagnosed with prostate cancer with “metastasis to the bone.”
“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” the statement said. “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”
The statement added that while Biden’s prostate cancer represented “a more aggressive form of the disease,” it appeared to be “hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.”
“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” the statement added.
Biden’s cancer diagnosis comes after doctors discovered a “small nodule” on Biden’s prostate during a physical examination.
In response to Biden’s cancer diagnosis, lawmakers across the aisle — such as former Vice President Kamala Harris (D), Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), and others — expressed that they are keeping Biden and his family in their prayers and wishing him a “complete recovery.”
“Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis,” Harris said in a post on X. “We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time. Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”
Biden diagnosed with
Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his office said in a statement on Sunday.
“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” his office said in a statement. “On Friday he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone. While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
Biden was evaluated last week after a small nodule was found in the prostate, which necessitated further evaluation, his office said at the time.
Prostate cancer is common, second only to skin cancer as the most common cancer affecting males, according to the Cleveland Clinic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every 100 males, 13 will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives.
Though all men are at risk for prostate cancer, age is the most common risk factor, the CDC says.
“The older a man is, the greater the chance of getting prostate cancer,” the CDC notes.
Biden is 82 and left office in January as the oldest president in history, although President Trump, who is 78, in January became the oldest person to take the oath of office.
contributed to this report.