President Joe Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed in February, but no further treatment is necessary, White House doctor Kevin O’Connor said Friday.
Biden will continue dermatologic surveillance as part of his ongoing healthcare, the doctor added.
O’Connor said he had successfully removed a basal cell carcinoma from the president’s chest during his yearly physical, according to an Associated Press report.
He otherwise deemed Biden, 80, to be healthy, vigorous, and fit enough to handle his White House responsibilities.
Basal cell carcinomas are a common form of skin cancer and are easily treatable if caught early.
In January, first lady Jill Biden had three lesions removed, with two of them later testing positive for basal cell carcinoma.
The Bidens have long been advocates in the fight to cure cancer. Their son, Beau, died from brain cancer in 2015.
Biden, who is the oldest American president ever, is widely expected to launch a bid for reelection in 2024 in the near future.
His past decisions around seeking the presidency have been protracted, painstaking affairs. This time, Biden has slipped past his most ambitious timetable, outlined by advisors, to launch in February. According to Politico, he and his advisors are coalescing around April.
Questions surrounding the president’s age and fitness have continued to swirl. A second term would see Biden reach the age of 86 by its completion.
While the president has told his aides that his age will not be the determining factor in his final decision to run for reelection, conversations about it are shaping everything from planning anticipated campaign logistics to calibrating vice president Kamala Harris’ role as the running mate, sources told CNN.