Biden’s last PSA test was 11 years ago, spokesperson says

Former President Joe Biden‘s last PSA test, a screening to potentially flag prostate cancer, was performed in 2014, according to his spokesperson.

Newsweek reached out to Biden’s office via online form on Tuesday for comment.

Why It Matters

Biden’s health, both physical and mental, was discussed at length during the 2024 presidential election cycle and more recently after excerpts from a new book by CNN‘s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, were published by multiple media outlets.

The former president’s announcement has since heightened conversation about transparency and whether his team had been aware of his health issues while in office.

What To Know

The former president said in a press release on Sunday that the week before, he had been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to the bone.

Biden’s diagnosis is a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5). The scale is from 1-10 and based on the cancer cells’ appearance compared to normal cells.

According to numerous media outlets on Tuesday, citing the Biden spokesperson, “President Biden’s last known PSA was in 2014. Prior to Friday, President Biden had never been diagnosed with prostate cancer.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is a blood test used to measure the PSA level in the body.

This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.