FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The American Cancer Society reports that the chances that men diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer live five years is 37 percent.
A urologic oncologist at Broward Health Medical Center told Local 10 that given former President Joe Biden’s age and the advanced stage diagnosis announced Sunday, he is facing a tough challenge.
Biden’s advanced metastatic prostate cancer spread to his bones.
Local 10 sat down with Dr. Michael Tyler to discuss what the former 82-year-old president is facing.
“In his case, we found that the disease has already spread outside of the prostate and the different parts of his body. So that puts him in a different category,” Tyler said.
With an invasive cancer, Tyler said Biden has treatment options.
“We have to treat the whole body wherever the cancer may be living within the body,” Tyler said. “So there are hormonal treatments and agents that can be used to suppress.”
During a recent physical after experiencing urinary symptoms, a small nodule was discovered.
Tyler said since the cancer spread outside of the prostate, it indicates rapid progression.
“Sometimes it is very quick growing,” he said. “And in those cases where they do develop metastatic disease out front, they tend to be the more aggressive variety that may or may not have been found with usual screening mechanisms.”
Tyler said it is possible the cancer did not exist when the former president was examined last year or it did not show up during a routine screening.
According to the National Health Institute, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer death for men.
“So generally with metastatic prostate cancer, when the cancer is spread outside of the prostate, we have limited solutions as far as a cure for prostate cancer,” Tyler said.
For Biden, treatment can lead to remission, but a cure is unlikely, according to Tyler.
Tyler said screening is incredibly important for men in their 50s to 70s or those with a history of prostate cancer.
Given the former president’s age, Tyler says treatment will be tough on the body.