Former U.S. President Joe Biden undergoes surgery to remove skin cancer lesions

Former U.S. president Joe Biden recently underwent surgery to remove skin cancer lesions, a spokesperson said Thursday.

His spokesperson Kelly Scully confirmed the surgery after Inside Edition published video of Biden leaving church in Delaware with a fresh scar on his forehead.

Biden’s battle with skin cancer

She said Biden received Mohs surgery, a procedure used to cut away skin until no evidence of cancer remains. This is not the first time Biden has faced skin cancer. Two years ago, while Biden was in office, he had a basal cell carcinoma lesion removed from his chest.

In May, Biden’s office announced that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. Biden has been open about his health struggles, stating on social media, “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places.”

A family history of cancer

The Biden family has faced cancer repeatedly over the years. Biden’s son Beau died of a brain tumour, and his wife, Jill, had two cancerous lesions removed.

Biden’s place among living presidents

At age 82, Biden is the oldest of America’s living presidents. George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are each 79 years old, as is current U.S. President Donald Trump. Barack Obama, at age 64, is the youngest of the living U.S. presidents.