General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFWIW: Threads post from someone who had a diagnosis like Biden's
“President Biden's cancer diagnosis sounds exactly like the diagnosis I had this last November. Gleason score of 9 and metastasis to the bone, discovered after urinary problems.
After 6 chemotherapy treatments, 3 weeks apart, my cancer is now under control.
Mr. Biden has a good chance of living with this for a long time with monitoring and occasional treatment.“
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
LetMyPeopleVote
(163,804 posts)
Lovie777
(18,641 posts)
Cha
(311,255 posts)Mahalo! 💙🌈 
highplainsdem
(56,256 posts)SheltieLover
(68,582 posts) 
Irish_Dem
(70,142 posts)This is not a good chance of a long time survival.
True Dough
(23,146 posts)The average lifespan of a man in the U.S. is 74.8 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control. I wouldn't expect the odds of Biden living another 5 years would be good no matter what. Something is bound to give.
Irish_Dem
(70,142 posts)Doesn't smoke or drink.
Keeps a normal weight and exercises.
Has a good attitude.
And the best medical care money has to offer.
So he might have lived longer than five years.
Irish_Dem
(70,142 posts)Doesn't smoke or drink.
Keeps a normal weight and exercises.
Has a good attitude.
And the best medical care money has to offer.
So he might have lived longer than five years.
ms liberty
(10,234 posts)He might still at least match them.
Irish_Dem
(70,142 posts)And health care is better than in his parent's time.
Statistically his age at death would be close to his parent's age at death.
ms liberty
(10,234 posts)From an earlier age, which definitely has an impact. He could still potentially live to be older than his mother. POTUS gets the best health care in the country - just look at Jimmy Carter, who lived through some bad cancers and still made it to 100.
Irish_Dem
(70,142 posts)But given his good attitude, supportive family, and the best healthcare in the world,
he could be in the survival group.
Self Esteem
(2,191 posts)That is just saying of those who come down with this cancer, 33% will survive beyond five years.
It doesn't mean he has a 33% chance of surviving.
A big reason doctors don't give you those numbers, or at least try to avoid them, is because every human is different and have different preexisting conditions that could absolutely impact their chance of survival.
That 33% number is a good reference point about the collective group but it tells you nothing of the individual or the type of healthcare they'll receive.
Biden could have a much higher probability of surviving than 33% or a much lower. That's something I'm sure the doctors will understand the more he begins treatment but he does not start at 33% survival odds beyond five years.
Irish_Dem
(70,142 posts)The bottom line Joe Biden has a very serious disease and based on science,
his prognosis is not great for five year survival.
However statistics apply to groups of people and Joe could be an outlier and do well.
Self Esteem
(2,191 posts)You have thrown around that 33% chance of surviving multiple times in this thread. I think it's important to add context to that number.
You saw the exact same thing with COVID survival rates. People would toss around that 99% survival rate ignoring the context of the 1% who were actually dying.
Your chance of surviving COVID back then depended on a lot of factors - including age, health and lifestyle.
If you were a 75 year old morbidly obese man with diabetes and COPD, I guarantee you that you're not looking at a 99% chance of surviving COVID lol
My point is that we don't know what Biden's odds are. Hell, it's possible his doctors don't know yet. So, yeah, it's very serious, maybe even likely death in the next couple years - but it's also possible he has a good prognosis due to his health and care he's receiving.
We don't know.
That's why putting a percentage to it maybe not the best thing to do because no, Biden doesn't have just a 33% chance of surviving this.
It could be much higher - and yes, sadly, it could also be much lower.
llmart
(16,434 posts)I'm an older person and I get really tired of the messages that are put out there about how "we're all going to live to be 100" if only we eat kale and walk miles every day. The reality is that in my age group (I'm almost 76) men still on average die earlier than women. I personally have had 5 people close to me die since December, all in their 70's and one who was 83. I heard so many of my cohorts say, "they were too young to die". No they weren't. The average lifespan of my age group hasn't changed all that much from our parents' average lifespan.
PCIntern
(27,354 posts)I’m 72 and all kinds of “healthy-living” individuals with whom I went to school are dropping fairly regularly. It is what it is. Wishful thinking is just that.
Ya gotta have luck and genes on your side.
True Dough
(23,146 posts)Of course I wish Joe many more happy years ahead, just as I do for you.
I'm simply talking about the statistics. Those are cold, hard facts. While there's no guarantees for any of us, there are only so many outliers.
Like you, I also hear "Gone too soon" and "They died so young" about people in their mid-to-late 70s and, while I don't argue the point, I don't nod in agreement either. Sure, we'd like to have kept the individual around longer, we can all agree on that. But to insinuate that someone's life was cut short when they live to 78 or 82, I just don't subscribe to that train of thought.
Take care!
alfredo
(60,180 posts)It’s been nine yrs. I can finally exhale.
elleng
(139,587 posts)
malaise
(284,544 posts)Told me otherwise. He completed his radiation and is waiting for an update,
I am ignorant about prostate cancer.
spooky3
(37,512 posts)
MLWR
(352 posts)
Butterflylady
(4,414 posts)Still here and kicking...
Never give up hope...
Quakerfriend
(5,839 posts)cancer free for 27 years.
🙏💙🙏 for our Joe!
Walleye
(40,690 posts)Of course, we were in the same boat as soon as we got through the first part of our treatment, the Covid hit and everything shut down made it much more complicated. Glad to hear you’re doing OK.
spooky3
(37,512 posts)“A family member received the exact prostate cancer diagnosis Joe Biden received. Metastasized to bone, Gleason Score of 10 (slightly higher than Biden’s). They don’t remove the prostate if the cancer has metastisized, so hormone therapy is the way to go. Hormone-sensitive is good news, and there are many drugs available. My family member is still very much alive 13 years after his diagnosis, and it is now treated more like a chronic disease. I am praying for Pres. Biden.“
wordstroken
(1,185 posts)
JohnSJ
(98,793 posts)
kimbutgar
(25,167 posts)Walleye
(40,690 posts)brakester
(348 posts)in somewhat the same way. Always bringing up "weakness." Ha! Carter sure proved the nay-sayers wrong by living to a ripe old age.
There are way too many Americans that live in fear of "looking weak" and pile on if a man is compassionate or has emotions. F'em!
Biden, Carter and Obama are 3 of the best leaders we were blessed to have!
Walleye
(40,690 posts)
liberalla
(10,507 posts)madibella
(175 posts)Of pain or discomfort for all that he has done for all of us and for the United States of America.
Prairie Gates
(5,129 posts)If he makes it to 2026 it will be a miracle.
Let's all be honest.
soldierant
(8,569 posts)at 82 he still has all the physical abilities which, if you have them in your late sixties, mean you have an excellent chance of living into your nineties.
I'm 79, don't have most of them now and never gave them a thought in my sixties, but I don't expect to be dying any time soon.
Of course nothing is certain. But let's wait until the funeral t eulogize him, please.
BootinUp
(49,864 posts)
ananda
(31,867 posts)That would be wonderful.
surfered
(6,995 posts)Good luck to you.
HereForTheParty
(915 posts)It had also impacted his internal organs.
He lived four years after his diagnosis. Near the end he told us he had two good years, then one okay year, and the final year was not worth living.
Joe can have a good bit of life ahead. But I do hope none of it is the not-worth-living kind.
Response to HereForTheParty (Reply #22)
Mosby This message was self-deleted by its author.
Tribetime
(6,578 posts)11 yrs ago was very lucky it qas caught quickly...I switched incurance through the plumbers union and my psa went up 6 fold in 6 months....11 years cancer free...if it comes back Im going on a full Keto diet and do cold therapy al9ng with whatever else the drs tell me
Dem4life1970
(872 posts)Joe Biden is the first candidate I ever voted for in the 1988 primaries (of which he had to leave due to a "plagiarism scandal." The current SecDef (yes, Fox "News" host Hegseth) is in a plagiarism scandal and there is zero pressure on him to resign his position.
So glad Joe remained in the Senate, served 8 years as VP in one of the most consequential VP in our lifetimes (the ACA), and served 4 years as President (bailing us out of the first Pandemic in a century, faster job creation record than Clinton or Obama, Chips Act, Bipartisan infrastucture bill, Pact Act....restored the Soul of the Nation...the soulless, amoral, transactionalist of course is back in office now).
Praying for a speedy and successful recovery.
brakester
(348 posts)Biden was/is a great man. I feel so thankful for his achievements, his compassion, his patriotism.
I get so pissed off at the jackels who piled on him after his last debate!
He had just completed 2 important foreign diplomatic trips before the debate, probably had cancer at that time. He gave his ALL to make this a better country.
Contrast his character with this lazy, lying, rapist, fraudulent, self-absorbed dunce currently violating the white house, the people, our democracy.
(The list of his character flaws is endless! I'm sure I've left out innumerable negative points!)
barbtries
(30,442 posts)there was a similar post from a woman whose father had essentially the same diagnosis and was able to beat it, still alive after over 9 years. I thanked her for sharing because i was feeling quite sad that President Biden may not be able to survive this.
malaise
(284,544 posts)posting on this.
Thanks for this hopeful thread Spooky3. I was way more worried before this.
spooky3
(37,512 posts)mahina
(19,765 posts)
DET
(2,030 posts)…and is still here 5 1/2 years later. Stage 4 PC is not curable, but it is treatable. They will probably start Joe on hormone treatment, perhaps with radiation, and see how he does. If they feel the need to be really aggressive, they may give him chemo, but that would be pretty hard on a man of 82. PC treatments are pretty unpleasant with lots of long-term side effects, but they can lead to significant remissions in those who respond. Don’t count Joe out yet.
Alice Kramden
(2,626 posts)And best wishes for your husband's health and comfort
Meowmee
(9,212 posts)the same for President B 😁🤗
90-percent
(6,940 posts)Frank Zappa died of misdiagnosed prostate cancer. It was the fifth doctor that finally diagnos3d it correctly.
-90% jimmy
lark
(25,055 posts)Thanks for sharing a little light with us this morning.
Texin
(2,726 posts)and he never was diagnosed with cancer. The urologist told him (and I had read about it several years before), that, typically, many - if not most - men over the age of about 65 will develop prostate cancer at some point, and if they're diligent the can catch it early enough to allow for a long life. After the age of about late '70s, urologists are more conservative in their approach to testing and aggressive treatments for the disease.
Biden's cancer seems to be hormone sensitive which is a good indication they may be able to knock it down/back and keep it treatable for a time.
I'm just sorry it wasn't the orange shit stain instead. But he's gonna live forever thereby making a liar of Lincoln and God Almighty Himself more's the pity.
ECL213
(368 posts)I mean, that's what all of the comments on the socials are telling me. You know, how that's the difference between Democrats and Republicans. They're all praying for him to recover, while we all wish nothing but death and ill will on Trump and every other Republican. Gosh darn, we're so lucky to have all of these moral Republicans out there with their "Let's Go Brandon" and their "Hog Tied Joe Biden" tailgate decals wishing Joe the best.
Fuck all those fucking fucks. Especially king fuck with his message of support written by someone else in between the disparaging notes he writes himself.
Rec
dlk
(12,640 posts)Glad you are better and hoping for similar good news for President Biden
spooky3
(37,512 posts)Illness and outlook. I’m not ill. However a male relative was misdiagnosed which enabled the prostate cancer to advance when they could have caught and treated it. Fortunately he is ok today.
malaise
(284,544 posts)Joe Biden made his first public remarks on Monday morning about his cancer diagnosis, an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.
“Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support,” Biden wrote on social media, his first statement since his office reported the diagnosis on Sunday.
wolfie001
(5,043 posts)I hope he hits 100!!! So thankful for the Bidens!!! 
malaise
(284,544 posts)made it to 100
wolfie001
(5,043 posts)Woo Hoo!!! Great man, great life! 
ChazInAz
(2,911 posts)Diagnosed last November.
My urologist's somewhat casual approach to treatment prompted me to move from rural Kansas back to Tucson, where I stand a better chance of successful treatment. Driving some thirty miles to St. Joseph, MO or further to Leavenworth and Kansas City for assorted treatments, with nothing available in Atchison, was a deal bteaker!
malaise
(284,544 posts)Rec