Video of Joe Biden Saying He Had Cancer in 2022 Picked Up by Critics

[RileyG]

Actually, it's a cancer that almost all men will get if they live long enough...

Studies have shown that prostate cancer cells are found in the prostates of up to 80% of men who reach age 80, even if these cancers never cause symptoms or require treatment

Prostate Cancer Risk Factors

Besides being male, there are a number of known risk factors for prostate cancer, including age, lifestyle, race, and family history. Learn more about who is at risk for prostate cancer at WebMD.

www.webmd.com

Yikes! My grandfather had prostate cancer, had a stroke, then his health went downhill after that. Died at age 83 on Thanksgiving Day 2007.

That's quite terrifying!

 

[RileyG]

For what it's worth, Dr. Ezekiel Emmanuel stated on Morning Joe that Biden likely had this cancer for years, maybe even a decade

MSN

A leading cancer doctor who served as an adviser to the Biden administration explained his surprise that former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis was missed until now.

Ezekiel Emanuel, an oncologist who sat on Biden’s COVID Advisory Board, said on Monday that the 82-year-old could have had the disease “for many years, maybe even a decade” given that it has spread to the bone.



Noting, that "aggressive form of" with regards to prostate cancers, doesn't mean the same thing as it means with other cancers.

Wishing (and praying for) President Biden and his family the very best. I hope he gets the treatment he needs say he can live the rest of his days happily and healthy.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Wishing (and praying for) President Biden and his family the very best. I hope he gets the treatment he needs say he can live the rest of his days happily and healthy.

They say the form he has is hormone sensitive, which is a good sign for him, that means it's manageable.



Although, I do wonder, did his use of finasteride perhaps cause some false negatives on earlier PSA tests...

I know this because I also use finasteride.

For those who don't know

Finasteride is branded under two different drug names (5mg Proscar and 1mg Propecia). I take the latter and have been for about a decade for the purposes of hair loss reversal (it does work by the way lol, I was very thin on top, and I'm pretty close to the hair I had in my mid-20's)

The 5mg Proscar preparation is used for BPH, a condition which he is on record as having. And it's pretty clear he's also done some hair treatment over the years, which means he's probably been on both preparations of Finasteride at various points in time.

One of the warnings they give you when you take finasteride is that it artificially lowers PSA scores, which means they could lead to false negatives. The fact that I'm on it is the reason why my doctor insists on doing the "not-so-fun" type of prostate exam at my physicals instead of just doing the PSA test... at least I hope that's the reason they're insisting on doing that lol.


If I had to venture a guess, that would be it. His use of finasteride likely led to some false negatives on previous PSA tests. Although, you'd think any doctor worth their salt would've factored that in and insisted on the 'manual' prostate exam.

 

[RileyG]

They say the form he has is hormone sensitive, which is a good sign for him, that means it's manageable.



Although, I do wonder, did his use of finasteride perhaps cause some false negatives on earlier PSA tests...

I know this because I also use finasteride.

For those who don't know

Finasteride is branded under two different drug names (5mg Proscar and 1mg Propecia). I take the latter and have been for about a decade for the purposes of hair loss reversal (it does work by the way lol, I was very thin on top, and I'm pretty close to the hair I had in my mid-20's)

The 5mg Proscar preparation is used for BPH, a condition which he is on record as having. And it's pretty clear he's also done some hair treatment over the years, which means he's probably been on both preparations of Finasteride at various points in time.

One of the warnings they give you when you take finasteride is that it artificially lowers PSA scores, which means they could lead to false negatives. The fact that I'm on it is the reason why my doctor insists on doing the "not-so-fun" type of prostate exam at my physicals instead of just doing the PSA test... at least I hope that's the reason they're insisting on doing that lol.

I hope everything works out for him!

 

[FreeinChrist]

They say the form he has is hormone sensitive, which is a good sign for him, that means it's manageable.



Although, I do wonder, did his use of finasteride perhaps cause some false negatives on earlier PSA tests...

I know this because I also use finasteride.

For those who don't know

Finasteride is branded under two different drug names (5mg Proscar and 1mg Propecia). I take the latter and have been for about a decade for the purposes of hair loss reversal (it does work by the way lol, I was very thin on top, and I'm pretty close to the hair I had in my mid-20's)

The 5mg Proscar preparation is used for BPH, a condition which he is on record as having. And it's pretty clear he's also done some hair treatment over the years, which means he's probably been on both preparations of Finasteride at various points in time.

One of the warnings they give you when you take finasteride is that it artificially lowers PSA scores, which means they could lead to false negatives. The fact that I'm on it is the reason why my doctor insists on doing the "not-so-fun" type of prostate exam at my physicals instead of just doing the PSA test... at least I hope that's the reason they're insisting on doing that lol.


If I had to venture a guess, that would be it. His use of finasteride likely led to some false negatives on previous PSA tests. Although, you'd think any doctor worth their salt would've factored that in and insisted on the 'manual' prostate exam.

I don't believe Biden was on finasteride. It is Trump who takes finasteride.

 

[FreeinChrist]

A takeaway from this is that a better test for prostate cancer is needed.

With the cut in funding for research, it will probably happen later rather than sooner.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

I don't believe Biden was on finasteride. It is Trump who takes finasteride.

Biden did have BPH, so the overwhelming odds were that he took finasteride.

A look at former President Joe Biden's health in wake of prostate cancer diagnosis

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to the bone, his office announced this week.

abcnews.go.com

5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors

These drugs shrink the prostate by blocking the hormone (DHT) responsible for prostate growth. They are especially useful for men with larger prostates

• Finasteride (Proscar)
• Dutasteride (Avodart)

It's possible that Trump takes it too...who knows, a lot of older guys have BPH.


Right from the CDC:

Finasteride can cause false negatives on PSA tests. This is because finasteride reduces PSA levels, which can mask the presence of prostate cancer. Healthcare providers typically recommend either doubling or tripling the PSA results to achieve a more accurate reading when finasteride is being used, or relying on a digital rectal exam. It is crucial for individuals taking finasteride to inform their healthcare provider about their medication, especially before undergoing PSA testing, to ensure accurate results.


And as noted, my doctor still insists on doing the "digital exam" (not exactly fun). Despite the fact that I'm only on the 1mg version (Propecia) that's prescribed for hair loss, he's seen unreliable results in men taking that, so that false negative problem is likely worse in the older men who have been taking the 5mg (Proscar) version for an extended period of time -- the longer you take it, the more it skews the results.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

A takeaway from this is that a better test for prostate cancer is needed.

With the cut in funding for research, it will probably happen later rather than sooner.

They already have several alternative ways of detecting it.

-The digital rectal exam
-Imaging methods (MRI and Ultrasounds)

The same is true of many cancers...peoples' bashfulness about certain body parts being exposed prevents more valuable screenings from taking place than any lack of funding for new technology.

 

[wing2000]

Biden did have BPH, so the overwhelming odds were that he took finasteride.

There are other options - medication and procedures - for BPH. I was on Alfuzosin for 2 years and after it started losing effect, I had a "Urolift" performed with good results - no more meds.

 

[BPPLEE]

There are other options - medication and procedures - for BPH. I was on Alfuzosin for 2 years and after it started losing effect, I had a "Urolift" performed with good results - no more meds.

I've been taking Flomax for 18 years. I was only 43 when I started taking it. It worked immediately and hasn't stopped working

 

[Bradskii]

Yikes! My grandfather had prostate cancer, had a stroke, then his health went downhill after that.

Most of us will die with it, not of it. I had a minor problem a few months years ago and had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy (plus an MRI scan). I was told everything was just perfect (including my liver! Wonders never cease). I felt indestructible.

I very strongly suggest that all men reading this thread book an appointment to get checked now. And I really do mean now. Don't read any more threads, log off, ring your doctor and then post that you've booked it. Don't be the guy who wishes he'd done it earlier.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

There are other options - medication and procedures - for BPH. I was on Alfuzosin for 2 years and after it started losing effect, I had a "Urolift" performed with good results - no more meds.

There are, but it's very age dependent...

• Finasteride works by shrinking the prostate by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which drives prostate growth.
• It's more often prescribed in men with larger prostate volumes, which tend to occur in older men (typically 60+).
• Older men are more likely to have progressive BPH — meaning their condition is more likely to worsen without intervention. Finasteride is one of the few medications shown to reduce the risk of BPH progression and lower the need for surgery.
• Men over 60 are significantly more likely to receive finasteride than younger men with BPH.
• For younger men (e.g. under 50 with mild symptoms), alpha-blockers are usually the first-line choice since they offer faster symptom relief.

So depending on the age Biden was when he was diagnosed with BPH would've played a big factor in which class of drugs he would've been described for the condition.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

I very strongly suggest that all men reading this thread book an appointment to get checked now. And I really do mean now. Don't read any more threads, log off, ring your doctor and then post that you've booked it. Don't be the guy who wishes he'd done it earlier.

Oh, I get way more physical contact than I'd hoped with my doctor once a year lol

Another one that goes under-detected is testicular cancer...you mentioned feeling invincible. That form of cancer is particularly dangerous because it's a "young man's game"...most guys who get that are in their 20's and 30's when it happens...during the age where cancers aren't at the forefront of everyone's mind.

As someone who has cancer history in most of the family, I get every cancer screening they'll let me get.

Another one is colon cancer...while conventional wisdom dictates "you don't need that screening until you're 50+", in reality, if anyone has had anyone in their family get it, they should be doing it 10 years earlier.

 

[wing2000]

My father died of prostrate (and bone) cancer in 2010, after being diagnosed 15 years earlier. The cancer was not agressive initially as he lived a near normal life until 2009 when his PSA started to spike dramatically. The cancer quickly spread to his bones and he died 8 months later. My grandfather died from the same disease in his early 60's.

It's reassuring to see the advances in treatment - even at later stages in the diseases progression. It's also good to see there drug options for repressing testostrone without removing the testicles (that wasn't an option in the 1990's.

 

[SeekFirst0]

Wishing (and praying for) President Biden and his family the very best. I hope he gets the treatment he needs say he can live the rest of his days happily and healthy.

First and foremost, his repentance. His time is running out. God can soften the hearts of the most obstinate sinners. But he needs to call out to him, if not, it won’t be a happy ending for eternity.

 

[BPPLEE]

Oh, I get way more physical contact than I'd hoped with my doctor once a year lol

Another one that goes under-detected is testicular cancer...you mentioned feeling invincible. That form of cancer is particularly dangerous because it's a "young man's game"...most guys who get that are in their 20's and 30's when it happens...during the age where cancers aren't at the forefront of everyone's mind.

As someone who has cancer history in most of the family, I get every cancer screening they'll let me get.

Another one is colon cancer...while conventional wisdom dictates "you don't need that screening until you're 50+", in reality, if anyone has had anyone in their family get it, they should be doing it 10 years earlier.

I got my first colonoscopy in my 20's. They had done every conceivable test and it was a last resort.
I had polyps that were removed and probably saved my life.
I had them every 5 years after that and never had polyps again.
They told me I could go 10 years after my last one and it's about that time

 

[FreeinChrist]

They already have several alternative ways of detecting it.

-The digital rectal exam
-Imaging methods (MRI and Ultrasounds)

The same is true of many cancers...peoples' bashfulness about certain body parts being exposed prevents more valuable screenings from taking place than any lack of funding for new technology.

A digital rectal exam is okay after the mass becomes large enough. To catch it sooner, there needs to be a better PSA test. Routine MRIs are costly.

 

[BPPLEE]

A digital rectal exam is okay after the mass becomes large enough. To catch it sooner, there needs to be a better PSA test. Routine MRIs are costly.

I had an MRI and the urologist told me there was a 65% chance that I had cancer.
When he did a biopsy and the results came back there was no cancer

 

[ThatRobGuy]

A digital rectal exam is okay after the mass becomes large enough. To catch it sooner, there needs to be a better PSA test. Routine MRIs are costly.

There actually are enhanced versions of the PSA test...

Free PSA (fPSA) Test​

• Measures the percentage of unbound PSA in the blood.
• Lower percentages of free PSA are more suggestive of prostate cancer.
• Typically used in men with total PSA levels in the borderline range (e.g. 4–10 ng/mL) to help decide whether a biopsy is needed.

---

Prostate Health Index (PHI)​

• Combines total PSA, free PSA, and [-2]proPSA (a PSA isoform more closely associated with prostate cancer).
• Provides a PHI score, which better predicts the likelihood of prostate cancer than PSA alone.
• More accurate in identifying aggressive cancers.

---

4Kscore Test​

• Measures four kallikrein protein levels in blood (including total PSA, free PSA, intact PSA, and hK2).
• Combines those results with clinical factors (like age and digital rectal exam findings) to estimate the risk of high-grade (Gleason score ≥ 7) prostate cancer.
• Helps determine if a biopsy is warranted.

---

SelectMDx​

• A urine-based test that detects mRNA biomarkers associated with aggressive prostate cancer.
• Often used after a PSA test and before considering biopsy, particularly in men with elevated PSA but normal DRE.

So we already have a lot of tools in the toolbelt.

As I noted before, the main obstacle is actually getting more people go in for screening.

Here's a sad fact:

Approximately 39% of adults who are of screening age in the U.S. report being more than two years behind on recommended cancer screenings, despite having health insurance, adequate funds, and access to care.


Until someone can invent a cure for apathy about one's own health....

 

[FreeinChrist]

The problem with the PSA test that is available is that there are enough false positives and false negatives is enough to cause groups like the American Urological Association to recommend PSA screening every 2 - 4 years for ages 50 - 69, and no mention of it from ages 70 on.

There are tools in the toolbelt, but there could be better ones.