Copyright MassLive
A major health update has been shared by the family of former president Joe Biden following the announcement of his aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis. Ashley Biden, the former president’s daughter, shared the news on Monday in a video posted on her Instagram story. “Rung the bell! Thank you to the incredible doctors, nurses, and staff at Penn Medicine. We are so grateful,” she wrote. “Dad has been so damn brave throughout his treatment. Grateful.” Patients traditionally ring the bell to mark the end of their cancer treatment. A spokesperson for Biden told CNN that he has completed a course of radiation therapy and that it’s unclear what his next treatment steps could be. Biden’s post presidential office announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in May and that it had spread to his bone. The discovery came after he reported urinary symptoms. Prostate cancers are graded for aggressiveness using what is known as a Gleason score. The scores range from 6 to 10, with 8, 9 and 10 prostate cancers behaving more aggressively. Biden’s office said his score was 9, suggesting his cancer is among the most aggressive. Since his diagnosis, the former president has been receiving radiation and hormone therapy as part of a new phase of treating the aggressive form of prostate cancer he was diagnosed with after leaving office. Last month, Biden had surgery to remove skin cancer lesions from his forehead.
