Biden had skin cancer removed from chest during his physical, White House says

The results from a biopsy done on a skin lesion removed from President Biden's chest last month confirmed that the growth was basal cell carcinoma – a type of skin cancer that does not tend to spread — White House physician Kevin O'Connor said in a memo on Friday.
"All cancerous tissue was successfully removed," O'Connor said in his memo, noting that the area around the biopsy site had been treated at the time of Biden's physical, meaning that no further treatment is required. He said the biopsy site had "healed nicely."
O'Connor said basal cell carcinoma does not metastasize, making it is a "less serious" type of skin cancer than melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma. But basal cell carcinoma can increase in size, making it harder to remove, he said.
First lady Jill Biden also had two lesions removed early this year that were confirmed to be basal cell carcinoma.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
Grow the Future of Public Media
MPR's budget year comes to a close on June 30. Help us close the gap by becoming a Sustainer today. When you make a recurring monthly gift, your gift will be matched by the MPR Member Fund for a whole year!