Joe Biden’s cancer treatment has moved into a new phase after the illness spread to his bones.
The former US president, 82, announced in May that he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.
Last month he was treated for skin cancer, and was seen with a large bandage on his forehead after undergoing a procedure known as Mohs surgery.
Now Mr Biden has announced he has started radiation therapy and hormone treatment as part of a five-week treatment plan.
He is said to be ‘doing well’, and his illness is reportedly hormone-sensitive, meaning it is ‘likely’ to respond to treatment.
Mr Biden previously said his cancer had a ‘Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone’.
This means his cancer had spread to his bones from his prostate.
According to Cancer Research UK, this Gleason score means the cancerous cells ‘look very abnormal’ and the disease is ‘likely to grow quickly’.
In other news, Donald Trump is in ‘exceptional health’ despite undergoing his second health check this year, his doctor has said.
The US president attended the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Maryland on Friday for a three-hour assessment including lab tests and preventative health checks.
He was also given his annual flu vaccine as well as a Covid-19 booster jab.
Trump’s doctor, navy captain Sean Barbabella, has scheduled a follow-up appointment as part of the president’s ‘ongoing health maintenance plan’.
However the medic insisted the head of state is in rude health, with ‘strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological and physical performance’.
The latest evaluation would prepare Trump for his upcoming visits abroad, including to the Middle East this weekend, where he is expected to convene a summit on the Gaza deal with world leaders.
He is then due to visit Asia at the end of the month, despite him appearing to have cancelled a planned meeting with Xi Jinping, amid the latest round of trade disputes.
Trump, who is now 79 and the oldest US president at inauguration, previously underwent an annual physical in April.
A three-page report detailed that the president had lost 20lb in weight since 2020, attributed to his ‘active lifestyle’.
However positive health check results have done little to quell speculation Trump is suffering from some underlying issues.
Information about the president’s health is disclosed largely at his discretion.
The White House confirmed in July that Trump was found to have a common condition causing blood to pool in the veins after noticing ‘mild swelling’ in his lower legs.
Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt added that these details had been revealed largely to dispel rumours that Trump’s health is deteriorating.
Trump has also regularly used ill health as something of a political barometer, particularly with opponents.
He constantly referred to his once rival and predecessor Joe Biden as ‘sleepy Joe’, mocking the former Democratic president’s mental and physical health – despite his own struggles to stay awake on occasion.
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