A representative of former President Joe Biden said that an analysis of prostate antigen blood was last, commonly used to detect prostate cancer, in 2014.
Although the exact date of the test was not released, Biden was about 72 years old at that time, which is in line with the current medical orientation and the recommendations on who should take a test.
Current detection recommendations suggest that men aged 55 to 69 should discuss the benefits and damage of a PSA test with their doctor and make an individual decision when or if they need it. Men of 70 years or more should not receive PSA -based detection due to the risk of false positives, according to the United States Preventive Services Working Group.
“Before Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer,” said the spokesman in a statement.
Biden announced on Sunday that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.
President Joe Biden walks after speaking during an interreligious prayer service for the victims of the deadly New Year’s truck attack, in New Orleans, January 6, 2025.
Gerald Herbert/AP
A PSA exam is not a perfect test, medical experts say.
The higher a person, the more the risk of false positives and unnecessary biopsies increases. On the contrary, some people with cancer can have good PSA scores. PSA detection is very discussed among doctors in terms of when it is appropriate to use it.
Biden representatives said the former president had a routine physique last week and that doctors discovered a small nodule in their prostate.
Since his diagnosis was revealed two days ago, President Donald Trump questioned the moment of the announcement and said that “someone is not saying the facts.”
“I am surprised that it was not, you know, the public was not notified long ago because to get to stage nine, that is a long time,” Trump said Monday.
