Medical Experts Express Concern Over Biden's Prostate Cancer Diagnosis: 'It Cannot Be Cured'

Former President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer, which has spread to his bones, his office revealed in a statement Sunday.

The statement revealed that the former president was diagnosed last Friday when he reported some urinary symptoms, which led doctors to find a "small nodule" on his prostate. The cancer has been characterized by a Gleason score of 9 and Grade Group 5 with bone metastasis, indicating that it is "pretty far advanced," Fox News reports.

"It's the most aggressive type," Dr. Marc Siegel, an internist, clinical professor at NYU Langone Medical Center and prominent medical commentator, told Fox. "That means it has the highest risk of spread— which obviously he has had."

But regardless of the diagnosis, Biden's office explained in the statement that treatment could be effective due to the type of cancer he is experiencing.

"While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management," according to the statement from Biden's office, which was unsigned. "The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians."

Siegel explained that doctors may seek hormone therapy to treat Biden's cancer. But they could also attempt to radiate the lesion found on the bone or remove the prostate altogether. More than 80% of men over the age of 80 years old have some prostate cancer cells in their body, according to the Doctor.

Further, there are two types of medications used to treat this type of advanced prostate cancer— Lupron, which stops testosterone production, and Casodex, which stops testosterone from binding. Side effects of the medication can leave people feeling "fatigued and listless," according to Siegel.

"The other thing I'm concerned about is bone pain, because those metastases to the bone can be pretty painful," he said.

Other doctors expressed similar concerns. Prostate cancer experts say that Biden's diagnosis is serious, and that once the cancer has spread to the bones, it cannot be cured. But Dr. Judd Moul, a prostate cancer expert at Duke University told The New York Times, that men whose prostate cancer has spread "can live five, seven, 10 or more years."

Likewise, Dr. Benjamin Davies, a professor of urologic oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center told CNN that Biden's cancer "is very serious and not curable." However, "there is some good news here in the newer hormonal chemotherapy therapies [that have come] into this space in the past few years which have shown impressive results and extended the longevity of patients significantly."

Biden left office in January as the oldest-serving president in American history, at 82 years old. Throughout his presidency, he faced questions about his age and his health, ultimately leading him to abandon his re-election campaign under pressure from his own party.

Since leaving office, the former president has largely kept a low profile, spending most of his time in Delaware and commuting to Washington to meet with staff to plan his post-presidential life. On Monday, he posted a picture on social media with his wife, Jill Biden, along with a short statement.

"Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support," the post read.