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Former President Joe Biden's authoritative wellness reports during his White House tenure did not amusement signs of assertive prostate cancer, a Fox News Digital reappraisal of the wellness documents shows.
Biden, who suffered 2 encephalon aneurysms successful 1988 that astir claimed his life, received cleanable bills of wellness successful 2021, 2023 and 2024, according to erstwhile White House doc Dr. Kevin O'Connor's yearly reports connected the president's authorities of health.
Biden was scheduled to person a carnal by the extremity of January 2023 but delayed the valuation owed to a engaged question schedule, the White House reported astatine the time. The erstwhile president had a astir 15-month play betwixt his 2021 carnal and 1 conducted successful February 2023.
Fox News Digital reviewed the 3 reports posted by the White House successful 2021, 2023 and 2024 and recovered that determination were nary signs indicating assertive prostate crab was connected the skyline for the 46th president — though concerns implicit tegument crab were a communal taxable passim the 3 reports.
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Former President Joe Biden shared an representation of him and his woman Jill connected Monday aft it was announced helium was diagnosed with prostate cancer. (X.com/@JoeBiden)
2021
Biden's White House doc released the president's archetypal yearly health study in November 2021, declaring Biden a "healthy, vigorous" man.
"President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male, who is acceptable to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to see those arsenic Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander successful Chief," O’Connor wrote successful the 2021 report.
The study included regular screenings of Biden's heart, eyes and teeth, arsenic good arsenic his occasional gastroesophageal reflux.
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The study noted that Biden besides underwent "routine" screenings for some colon crab and tegument cancer. Biden had aggregate "localized, non-melenoma tegument cancers removed" up of his presidency aft spending a bully woody of clip successful the prima arsenic a youth, the study stated, but that determination were "no areas suspicious for tegument cancer" during the 2021 physical.
The study did find that Biden was progressively "throat clearing" and coughing during nationalist events. O'Connor stated that Biden had agelong cleared his pharynx oregon coughed during speaking engagements, but specified coughing oregon pharynx clearing "certainly look much predominant and much pronounced implicit the past fewer months."
O'Connor said gastroesophageal reflux was apt the culprit down Biden's coughing aft conducting aggregate lung, oxygen and biologic tests.
The study besides noted that Biden's gait had go noticeably much stiff, which the doc said required a "detailed investigation." The stiffened gait was attributed to Biden's deterioration and teardrop connected his spine and mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet, which O'Connor said could beryllium addressed with carnal therapy and exercise.
Then-President Joe Biden speaks during an lawsuit successful 2021. That year, his White House doc declared him a "healthy, vigorous" man. (Carolyn Kaster/The Associated Press)
2023
O'Connor released details connected Biden's 2nd carnal arsenic president connected Feb. 16, 2023, astir 15 months aft the merchandise of his archetypal statesmanlike physical. The hold betwixt the wellness assessments was attributed to the president's engaged schedule.
Biden was notably besides diagnosed with COVID-19 successful July 2022 during the interim play of his archetypal and 2nd physicals. Biden was reported to person mild symptoms that July and was treated with the antiviral cause Paxlovid.
The February 2023 carnal study recovered that Biden was successful bully wellness and "fit" to service arsenic president.
"President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous 80-year-old antheral who is acceptable to successfully execute the duties of the presidency," O'Connor wrote successful his 2023 wellness memo.
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The study recovered that Biden's gait had remained stiff since his past physical, though the contented had not worsened. The study wide recovered that his heart, lungs, eyes and teeth were each successful bully health.
Biden underwent regular tegument crab surveillance, which recovered a tiny lesion connected the president's thorax that required biopsy. The lesion was removed conscionable a mates of weeks aboriginal without issue, a follow-up memo from O'Connor states.
"As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the tiny lesion was basal compartment carcinoma," Biden's doc wrote successful a memo aft the lesion was removed. "All cancerous tissue was successfully removed. The country astir the biopsy tract was treated presumptively with electrodessication and curettage astatine the clip of biopsy. No further attraction is required."
The 2023 carnal wellness study besides provided updates connected Biden's COVID-19 recovery, which the White House doc said went smoothly successful portion owed to Biden receiving the coronavirus vaccine and 2 booster shots earlier the infection.
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The February 2023 carnal study recovered that then-President Joe Biden was successful bully wellness and "fit" to service arsenic president. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/The Associated Press)
2024
The study connected Biden's last carnal introspection arsenic president was released Feb. 28, 2024 and again recovered the president successful bully wellness and capable to service arsenic president.
"President Biden is simply a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains acceptable to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to see those arsenic Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander successful Chief," the astir caller memo stated.
Again, captious organs specified arsenic the bosom and eyes received a cleanable measure of health, portion Biden's stiff gait did not worsen successful the interim since 2023, though the doc noted "arthritic changes" that were mean to severe.
O'Connor reported that helium conducted a neurological exam and determined that nary cerebral oregon neurological issues were compounding the president's stiff gait. The trial did enactment erstwhile findings of peripheral neuropathy of the feet, the study stated.
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The 2024 physical additionally noted that the lesion removed from Biden's thorax the twelvemonth anterior needed nary further treatment, arsenic basal compartment carcinoma typically does not metastasize.
The study added that Biden had been utilizing a continuous affirmative airway pressure, oregon CPAP, instrumentality erstwhile sleeping aft helium showed symptoms of obstructive slumber apnea. The president had antecedently reported akin symptoms successful 2008 and 2019, O'Connor stated, but that they subsided aft sinus and nasal transition surgeries earlier his presidency.
He besides underwent a basal canal that twelvemonth with nary complications.
Then-President Joe Biden, right, and President-elect Donald Trump successful the Oval Office successful 2024. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)
Who is Dr. O'Connor?
Dr. O'Connor has overseen Biden's wellness since 2009 and built a adjacent narration with the president and his family, Fox News Digital antecedently reported.
"I person ne'er had a amended commandant than Joe Biden," O’Connor said successful a illustration interrogation with his alma mater, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, erstwhile Biden served arsenic vice president. "All authorities aside, helium approaches his trade with specified honor. He’s 100 percent ‘family first.’ He’s ‘genuinely genuine.’"
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O'Connor overwhelmingly remained retired of the spotlight during Biden's tenure until the outpouring of 2024, erstwhile speculation mounted among some conservatives and Democrats that the president's intelligence acuity was slipping, with pundits and the media subsequently demanding to perceive straight from O'Connor connected the authorities of Biden's health.
Physician Kevin O'Connor has overseen erstwhile President Joe Biden's wellness since 2009. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)
The White House doc is affectionately known to Biden and his household simply arsenic "Doc," and was requested by Biden successful 2009 to enactment connected arsenic his doc aft serving successful the White House Medical Unit nether the President George W. Bush administration, according to the profile.
O’Connor was archetypal appointed to the White House Medical Unit successful 2006 for what was intended to beryllium a three-year subject assignment, according to his illustration published by the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, from which helium graduated successful 1992.
Instead, "Vice President Biden asked O’Connor to enactment on," the illustration continues.
O’Connor complied, marking the opening of their doctor-patient narration that has reportedly evolved into a adjacent narration with the president’s ample family.
Biden’s 2017 memoir, "Promise Me, Dad," features the president reflecting connected his adjacent narration with "Doc," including O’Connor joining the household connected their yearly abrogation to Massachusetts' Nantucket successful his capableness arsenic the White House doc and balking astatine the family’s "browsing extravaganza" connected the island. The White House aesculapian portion ever travels with a president to champion support his wellness and safety.
The physician’s narration with the household seemingly grew closer, according to the memoir, erstwhile the president’s son, Beau Biden, was diagnosed with encephalon crab — which yet claimed his beingness successful 2015.
"Doc was bully with Beau, who was inactive trying to get his bearings successful those archetypal fewer days. Real fearfulness was starting to creep in. Sometimes Beau would drawback him erstwhile everybody other was retired of earshot to get his honorable assessment," Biden wrote successful the memoir.
"‘Whatever it is, this is bad,’ helium told Beau, ‘but we’re gonna find retired what it is. And erstwhile we find retired what it is, we volition person a plan.’"
"‘Promise?’ Beau asked."
"‘Promise.’"
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In different excerpt, Beau Biden requested O’Connor "promise" to instrumentality attraction of his begetter if helium should die.
"‘Seriously, Doc. No substance what happens,'" Beau Biden said to O’Connor, according to the book. ‘"Take attraction of Pop. For real. Promise me. For real.’"
Back successful 2018, Joe Biden’s sister-in-law, Sara Biden, described O’Connor arsenic a "friend" who provided aesculapian proposal to members of the Biden household beyond the eventual commandant successful chief.
"Colonel O'Connor was really a person and helium — we would often inquire for his recommendations if immoderate of america had a aesculapian issue, truthful it was not uncommon to inquire him if helium had a recommendation," she said successful a deposition related to a New York authorities aesculapian malpractice lawsuit involving her daughter, Fox News antecedently reported.
The authorities of Biden's wellness now?
Biden's bureau announced May 18 that the erstwhile president had been diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer, which acceptable disconnected interest that specified a crab should person been discovered sooner.
"Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a caller uncovering of a prostate nodule aft experiencing expanding urinary symptoms," Biden's squad shared successful a statement. "On Friday, helium was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason people of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone."
Former President Joe Biden's bureau announced May 18 that the erstwhile president was diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via AP)
"While this represents a much assertive signifier of the disease, the crab appears to beryllium hormone-sensitive which allows for effectual management," the connection said. "The President and his household are reviewing attraction options with his physicians."
Physicians person remarked that they are "shocked" that the crab had not been discovered sooner.
"Thank God they recovered it. (Biden is) a fighter. He's been done a tremendous magnitude successful his life… with his son, with (his) wife, with (his) daughter," Fox News elder aesculapian expert Dr. Marc Siegel said May 19. "Two aneurysms, atrial fibrillation. He's been done a batch health-wise, but I americium perfectly shocked that they didn't find this earlier."
A spokesperson for Biden confirmed to Fox News connected May 20 that Biden's past known prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which screens a diligent for prostate cancer, was conducted successful 2014.
"President Biden's past known PSA was successful 2014," a Biden spokesperson told Fox News. "Prior to Friday, President Biden had ne'er been diagnosed with prostate cancer."
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Biden posted to X connected May 19 successful his archetypal connection since publically revealing the diagnosis to convey supporters.
"Cancer touches america all. Like truthful galore of you, Jill and I person learned that we are strongest successful the breached places," Biden wrote connected X, accompanied by a photograph with erstwhile archetypal woman Jill Biden. "Thank you for lifting america up with emotion and support."
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