White House: Tumor removed from Biden’s chest last month was cancerous

WASHINGTON. The skin lesion removed from President Joe Biden’s chest last month was basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, his doctor said Friday, adding that no further treatment was needed.

Dr. Kevin O’Connor, a White House physician who has long been Biden’s attending physician, said “all of the cancerous tissue was successfully removed” during the president’s February 16 routine physical. “healthy, energetic” and “in good shape” to carry out his duties at the White House during this physical check-up as he is weeks away from filing his expected re-election bid in 2024.

O’Connor said the removal site on Biden’s chest has “healed well” and the president will continue regular skin checks as part of his regular health care plan.

Basal cells are one of the most common and easily treatable forms of cancer, especially when detected early. O’Connor said they don’t tend to spread like other types of cancer, but they can grow in size so they’re removed.

Biden had “several localized non-melanoma skin cancers” removed before he began his presidency, O’Connor said in his Feb. 16 presidential health report, noting that it is well known that Biden spent a lot of time in the sun as a young man. .