I am a 13-year prostate cancer survivor: Joe Biden’s situation is “inconceivable”
- hughconrad52
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
I was almost 65-years-old in 2012 when I was told by a new physician whom I started seeing after the retirement of my internist that I should take a PSA. The reason for that recommendation is that I had a family member who was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
I thank the late Dr. Mike Tatarko for insisting that I do so. The test showed that I had a Gleason score of 7, which was somewhat high, and I went sent to a urologist for a biopsy.
I had no symptoms whatsoever and the digital exam had never shown any indication of this.
They took samples from 12 sections of my prostate, and while they found a sample in only one of them, that was enough to suggest that I seek treatment for this.
They gave me one proviso: It is aggressive, but one positive note They found it early, so it had not spread.
Joe Biden’s diagnosis
I am writing this because having that PSA allowed me to have 13 years of cancer-free life. I am optimistic that I will pass away from something other than prostate cancer.
That is why I was shocked not at the fact that President Joe Biden had been diagnosed with it. What was really a concern is that he has a Gleason score of 9 and some cells have spread to the bone.
My question is this: How could Biden’s physicians have allowed this?
My answer: Some doctors do not place much faith in the PSA and do not recommend it. Had he been taking one regularly, he could never have had this occur.
Yale medical scholar: “inconceivable”
I was not the only one who was shocked by this. Dr. Howie Forman, a professor of radiology and biomedical imaging, public health (health policy), management, and economics at Yale University, expressed concern about Biden’s lack of medical oversight, saying it was “odd,”
"It is inconceivable that this was not being followed before he left the Presidency …
Gleason grade 9 would have had an elevated PSA level for some time before this diagnosis.
And he must have had a PSA test numerous times before. This is odd. I wish him well and hope he has an opportunity for maximizing his quality of life."
David ‘McAfee, “ ‘This is odd': Yale doctor flags 'inconceivable'
part of Joe Biden's cancer news, Ray Story, May 18, 2025
Technically, some doctors say that the PSA should not be used on people after the age of 70. That is nonsense. The American Cancer Society says that testing can end at 75 for people with no family history of the disease.
However, Joe Biden’s situation indicates that testing should have been done on him. His prostate problem would have been diagnosed.
Harvard University Medical School physician Howard E. LeWine disagrees with guidelines,
The 2018 guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force are the ones who recommend stopping at 70. Harvard Medical School says that may not be a good idea,
The task force recommends that men ages 55 to 69 make a shared decision with their doctors regarding routine prostate cancer screening, which usually means periodic blood tests for prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The task force advises men to stop screening once they reach age 70.
While recommendations like this one help guide doctors' decision making, they do not state what action should be taken in any specific situation. In addition, some recent studies suggest that this general guideline might need revision.
Before offering advice, here are two questions I ask men, no matter their age, before ordering a blood PSA test:
1. Are you willing to proceed with a prostate biopsy if the results indicate that you might have prostate cancer?
2. Would you want to get treatment immediately if the biopsy shows any cancer cells, even very low-grade ones?
If a man older than 70 answers "yes" to both questions, is otherwise in good health and has a life expectancy of at least 10 years, getting a PSA test might be a reasonable choice. If he answers "yes" to question 1 and "no" or "not sure" to question 2, then I would ask if he would be comfortable with periodic monitoring rather than immediate therapy should the biopsy show low-grade prostate cancer. (Periodic monitoring includes regular PSA blood tests and perhaps repeat prostate biopsies.)
Howard E. LeWine, M.D., “Should I continue to get regular PSA testing after
age 70?” Harvard Health Publishing, Sept. 1, 2022
In short, most men are well advised to get the PSA after 70, particularly if they have any history in their family or if they have any urology problems.
Here is my story from my tenth year anniversary.