A small nodule has been discovered on Joe Biden’s prostate during a recent routine physical.
The former president’s spokesperson has shared a health update following Biden’s recent routine physical exam.
CBS News reports that “a small nodule" was found in the 82-year-old’s prostate, and the finding will require “further evaluation".
The medical update comes amid heightened scrutiny following the release of Original Sin, a book co-authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson, which details behind-the-scenes concerns over his physical decline during his presidency.
According to the book, advisers even floated the idea of using a wheelchair to help the late leader manage the physical demands of a second term, had he been re-elected.
Though it’s unclear at this stage whether the nodule is cancerous or benign, experts say further testing is necessary to determine the next steps.
“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, a urologist at NYU Langone, explained to CBS News.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men in the US, behind only skin cancer.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 13 out of every 100 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives, with age being the most significant risk factor.
“The older a man is, the greater the chance of getting prostate cancer,” the CDC states.
Biden’s prostate finding marks his first major health development since leaving the White House in January.
During his presidency, health concerns often shadowed him, especially as he approached and surpassed 80. His administration, however, consistently dismissed rumors of cognitive decline.
Back in February 2024, Biden’s longtime physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, pronounced the then-president “fit to serve” after a routine exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. When contacted again in July, after Biden withdrew from the 2024 election race, Dr. O’Connor described Biden’s health as “excellent.”
Still, Tapper and Thompson’s book has reignited speculation about whether the administration withheld key details from the public. A spokesperson for Biden has since denied any cover-up.
“Yes, there were physical changes as he got older, but evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity,” the spokesperson said, per The New York Post.
Biden himself also pushed back on claims of cognitive decline toward the end of his term, during a recent appearance on The View alongside First Lady Jill Biden. “They are wrong,” he stated. “There's nothing to sustain that.”
He acknowledged the ongoing concerns about his age, noting he would have been 86 by the end of a second term, but pushed back by pointing to his record. “I supposedly lost my cognitive capability,” he said, “but I got a hell of a lot done.”
Co-host Whoopi Goldberg suggested that Biden’s widely criticized debate performance last year may have sparked much of the speculation. “Why do you think people bought into it, especially the Democrats?” she asked.
The former president admitted he had “a bad night,” explaining that he was sick during the debate. His wife Jill added that he had confessed it to her afterward, using a colorful term to admit he had “screwed up.”
She emphasized, however, that she didn’t want those 90 minutes to define the legacy of his presidency.