Gleason score for prostate cancer: what biden’s diagnosis reveals about his health and presidential
Former president Joe Biden diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer characterized by high gleason score and bone metastasis
Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
The condition, confirmed by his medical team on Sunday, was classified with a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) and metastasis to the bone.
This score reflects the highest risk category for prostate cancer. It signals a disease that is advanced, fast-growing, and harder to treat.
Doctors noted Biden had been experiencing increasing urinary symptoms leading up to the diagnosis.
Additionally, Biden’s team said the cancer appears hormone-sensitive. This means it could still respond to specific treatments.
“The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” the statement concluded.
What the gleason score means?
So, What the gleason score means and why Biden’s score of 9 is medically alarming.
The Gleason score is a widely used system to grade prostate cancer.
It helps determine how aggressive the cancer is based on cell appearance.
Pathologists examine two patterns of cancer growth. They assign each a score from 1 to 5, then add them together.
– A Gleason score of 6 suggests low-grade cancer that is slow-growing and less likely to spread.
Scores of 7 indicate intermediate cancer. While, scores of 8 to 10mean high-grade cancer with a higher risk of spreading quickly.
Biden’s score of 9 places his case among the most severe.
This raised concern about early detection and long-term prognosis.
According to Dr. Arpeet Shah, a urologist interviewed by Fox News Digital, this score means the cancer cells “look very abnormal” under a microscope.
He stressed the importance of early detection through routine PSA blood tests and digital rectal exams. These methods are key to catching prostate cancer before it spreads.
“It’s important to highlight the importance of ‘early’ here,” he said. “Had President Biden undergone regular prostate cancer screening with a PSA blood test and digital rectal exam, his diagnosis might have been detected sooner.”
Doctors say hormone-sensitive cancer is treatable
Board-certified radiologist Dr. Nicole Saphier, speaking on The Big Weekend Show, confirmed Biden’s cancer is stage 4.
“[Stage 4] is the worst-case scenario when you’re talking about cancer, but we have so many treatments these days that you can actually live for quite a long time with stage 4 cancers,” Saphier said.
“In his case, because it is hormone-sensitive, there are treatment methods,” she continued.
“Even though he’ll never be cured, it’s possible he could reach a point where there’s no evidence of disease progression,” Saphier explained.
Still, experts warned that a stage 4 cancer diagnosis in a high-profile leader raises serious national and ethical concerns.
Previously, former Biden believed that he may have had cancer during his presidency.
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a former Biden COVID advisor and a prominent oncologist, said Monday that Biden likely had the cancer while in office.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Emanuel said: “Oh, yeah. He did not develop it in the last 100-200 days”.
“He had it while he was president and probably had it at the start of his presidency in 2021. I don’t think there’s any disagreement about that.” He added.
He added it would be deeply concerning if routine screening was not conducted.
It would also be troubling if abnormal results were withheld from the public.
“President Obama had this test. President Bush had this test,” Emanuel said.
“It’s surprising that Biden either didn’t take it—or someone failed to report it.”
He warned that if doctors tested and withheld results, it would mirror past transparency issues, including those during Trump’s COVID diagnosis.