Biden has cancerous lesion removed

President Biden had one cancerous skin lesion removed from his chest on Feb. 16, his longtime doctor Kevin C. O’connor said in a letter Friday. O’connor said that all cancerous tissue was successfully removed, and no further treatment is needed.

A biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma, O’connor said. The biopsy was performed on the same day as Biden’s annual physical.

Basal cell carcinoma, O’connor explained, does not tend to spread or metastasize, as moreserious skin cancers, like melanoma, do. This type of carcinoma is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the United States.

Per O’connor, the area of the biopsy has healed nicely and Biden, 80, will continue to undergo dermatologic monitoring as part of his ongoing health care.

After Biden’s physical exam in February, O’connor said in a memo that the president remains “a healthy, vigorous, 80-year-old male who is fit to successfully execute duties of the presidency.”

Biden, the first octogenarian president in U.S. history, has faced repeated questions about his physical and mental fitness — inquiries that have intensified as he prepares for an expected reelection bid.

First lady Jill Biden underwent a similar procedure in January to have two cancerous skin lesions removed. All cancerous tissue was fully removed, as well, O’connor said then.