Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Biden's Previous Prostate Screening Was At Age 71; Most Men Stop At 70
The Washington Post: Biden’s Last Prostate Cancer Screening Was In 2014, His Office Says
Former president Joe Biden’s last known screening for prostate cancer was in 2014, when he was 71 years old and serving as vice president, a spokesperson for Biden’s office said on Tuesday. It is not unusual for men over 70 to stop having regular prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, the standard screening to determine risk of prostate cancer, physicians and experts say. (Bendavid and Diamond, 5/20)
The New York Times: Joe Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis Is A Familiar Scenario For Prostate Experts
Some Americans say they don’t understand how former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. could have only recently learned that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones. How could the former commander in chief, a man with access to high-quality medical care, not have known earlier that he had such a serious condition? Many prostate cancers are detected using a test called a PSA, and Mr. Biden’s last known PSA was in 2014, according to a spokesman, Chris Meagher. Guidelines from professional organizations that advise doctors and public health officials recommend against screening for men over age 70. Mr. Biden is 82. (Kolata, 5/20)
The Hill: 5 Things To Know About Kevin O'Connor, Biden's Doctor, After Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
The news of former President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis is putting a spotlight on his physician, Kevin O’Connor, and whether he took adequate measures to monitor Biden’s health. Biden’s personal office said in a statement Sunday that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer two days prior after he was “seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.” (Vakil, 5/20)
Stat: Biden’s Diagnosis Highlights Little-Noticed Rise In Late-Stage Prostate Cancers
The cancer diagnosis former President Joe Biden received was difficult — stage 4 prostate cancer — but has become more and more common in recent years. This trendline, cancer experts said, is not widely known, even among physicians, and points to a need to dispel myths about prostate cancer screening. (Chen, 5/21)
