Former President Joe Biden’s office has confirmed that his last prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening was conducted in 2014, when he was serving as vice president. The disclosure comes after the recent announcement that Biden has been diagnosed with advanced, metastatic prostate cancer at the age of 82.
The late-stage diagnosis has raised questions about why the cancer went undetected for so long, especially considering Biden’s access to routine medical evaluations. At the time of his last PSA test, Biden was 72—an age that falls within the U.S. medical guidelines where routine PSA screenings are typically discouraged for men over 70 due to concerns about false positives and overtreatment.
Some health professionals have expressed concern over the absence of continued screening, suggesting earlier detection might have been possible. Others note that aggressive prostate cancers can develop quickly and may not always be identified through standard tests.
The news has also sparked political debate, with critics questioning the level of transparency regarding Biden’s health during his presidency. Supporters counter that Biden followed the guidance of medical experts and that there’s no indication of deliberate concealment.
Biden’s team has emphasized that the former president had no prior diagnosis and that the current cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, offering a path for manageable treatment. He is now undergoing medical care and remains under close observation by his physicians.