Medical experts are chatting about the timing that’s presently suggested for dudes over 70. A representative for ex-President Joe Biden spilled the tea that his last prostate-specific antigen blood test went down in 2014. The PSA test, commonly used to sniff out prostate cancer, was taken when Biden was about 72 years old, aligning with the current medical advice on who should hop on this test train. The guidelines recommend that men between 55 and 69 should have a chat with their doc about the pros and cons of a PSA test, making a personal call on when or if to go for it. But once you hit 70 and beyond, the US Preventive Services Task Force says, “Nah, you don’t need this test because of the risk of false positives.”
But hold up, before Friday, President Biden never got hit with a prostate cancer diagnosis. Then out of the blue on Sunday, Biden dropped the bomb that he’s got a pretty aggressive form of prostate cancer that’s decided to take a stroll to his bones. The PSA screening isn’t all that and a bag of chips, according to the experts. The older you get, the more likely you are to get false positives and unnecessary biopsies. And get this, some folks with cancer might actually have decent PSA scores. It’s a hot debate among doctors on when to whip out this screening tool.
Biden’s crew mentioned that during a routine checkup last week, docs spotted a tiny nodule in his prostate. Since the diagnosis went public two days ago, President Donald Trump has been throwing shade, questioning the timing of the announcement and claiming that someone’s not spilling the tea. “I’m kinda surprised that they didn’t let the public in on this little secret sooner because getting to stage nine — that’s a looong time,” Trump spilled on Monday. So, who knows what’s really going on behind the scenes, right?
