Former President Joe Biden had been evaluated after doctors found a “small nodule” on his prostate, a spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday.
“In a routine physical exam a small nodule was found in the prostate which necessitated further evaluation,” a Biden spokesperson said.
The news was first reported by The New York Times.
Further testing would be needed to determine if a nodule points to prostate cancer or is benign, meaning noncancerous.
“Prostate cancer may present as a prostate nodule (hard feeling area on the prostate) or elevated PSA test and often results in ordering an MRI and prostate biopsy,” Dr. Herbert Lepor, urologist at NYU Langone told CBS News in an emailed statement.
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.
Mr. 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.
The news comes as a new book is set to be released about Mr. Biden’s health during his time at the White House. While Biden has mostly kept a low profile since leaving the White House in January, but he and Jill Biden appeared on “The View” last week, where the pair insisted that rumors of a cognitive decline are false.
“They are wrong,” Biden said. “There’s nothing to sustain that.”
