According to President Biden’s doctor, the lesion on President Biden’s chest was a basal cell carcinoma which was removed during Biden’s annual physical exam.
Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, in a memo noted that the results of the biopsy confirmed the small lesion as a basal cell carcinoma. This is a common type of skin cancer, which if treated properly requires no further treatment. O’Connor also noted that the biopsy has healed well and that the President would continue to have dermatologic surveillance.
Prior to being elected to the White House, Biden had nonmelanoma skin cancers removed, while First lady Jill Biden earlier this year had Mohs surgery at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., to remove two lesions which were also shown to be basal cell carcinomas.
Basal cell carcinoma is a common type of skin cancer with over 3 million cases diagnosed yearly. Because of how slowly this cancer grows it can usually be treated without much damage if caught early on.
President Biden relaunched the Cancer Moonshot program in February 2021 in his effort to help cut down the cancer death rate in the next 25 years. The program also aims to help support both cancer survivors and caregivers. For Biden cancer is a deeply personal issue, as he lost his son Beau Biden to brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46. He has frequently talked about ending cancer throughout his presidential campaign and time in office.
