On Friday, President Biden’s doctor announced that a skin lesion removed from the president’s chest last month was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, and that no further treatment was required.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the White House doctor who has served as Biden’s longtime physician, said “all cancerous tissue was successfully removed” during his routine physical on February 16. O’Connor also said he found Biden to be “healthy, vigorous” and “fit” to handle his presidential duties during that physical exam.
“On 16 February, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the President had a skin lesion removed from his chest as part of his comprehensive health assessment. This tissue was sent for traditional biopsy,” O’Connor said in a letter. “As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma. All cancerous tissue was successfully removed. The area around the biopsy site was treated presumptively with electrodessication and curettage at the time of biopsy. No further treatment is required.”
“Basal cell carcinoma lesions do not tend to ‘spread’ or metastasize, as some more serious skin cancers such as melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma are known to do. They do, however, have the potential to increase in size, resulting in a more significant issue as well as increased challenges for surgical removal,” he added. “The site of the biopsy has healed nicely and the President will continue dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing comprehensive healthcare.”
