Former President Joe Biden has revealed that he has been diagnosed with an ‘aggressive form’ of cancer.

The 82-year-old’s personal office released a statement statement today (May 18).

It read: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.

“On Friday he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”

The statement continued: “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.

“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his office has confirmed (Leigh Vogel/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The 46th president of the United States was elected president on November 7, 2020 – beating President Donald Trump at the polls.

The Democrat went on to finish his first and only term in office on January 20, when his successor, 78-year-old Trump, reclaimed the White House having beaten Biden’s former vice-president Kamala Harris.

Biden ran his own presidential campaign for a second term in the Oval Office, but with just three months left he ultimately pulled out of the race.

His statement addressed to his ‘fellow Americans’ read in part: “Over the past three and a half years, we have made great progress as a Nation.

“Today, America has the strongest economy in the world. We’ve made historic investments in rebuilding our Nation, in lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, and in expanding affordable health care to a record number of Americans.

“We’ve provided critically needed care to a million veterans exposed to toxic substances. Passed the first gun safety law in 30 years. Appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court. And passed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world. America has never been better positioned to lead than we are today.”

The statement continued: “I know none of this could have been done without you, the American people. Together, we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. We’ve protected and preserved our Democracy. And we’ve revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

Before concluding: “I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.”

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.

John Cena has opened up about the habit he wishes he’d adopted earlier in life – before he learned that two spots on his skin were cancerous.

The WWE star-turned-actor revealed his skin cancer diagnosis earlier this year, explaining that he’d gone to a dermatologist for a skin checkup and had a spot removed from his right pec.

After the appointment, Cena received a call from his doctor asking him to come back in.

The spot was cancerous – but Cena told People he was ‘lucky’ to have a dermatologist who supported him through the process following his diagnosis.

One year later, Cena was back at the doctor.

The 48-year-old explained: “A year later I went back and had another spot removed close to my right shoulder. It shows up like a white polka dot on the side of my chest and on my shoulder. If you watch WWE, you’ll be able to see them.”

John Cena said he didn’t wear sunscreen as frequently as he should have (Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images)

‘It right there prompted me to change my life’

In a new interview cited by USA Today, Cena explained that the second spot was also cancerous.

“I received the phone call twice, ‘Hey, you’ve got to come back, because the biopsy came back cancerous,’” he said. “That information is sobering, and it right there prompted me to change my life.”

Cena has been treated for his spots, but admitted to previously having ‘neglected’ his skin, especially when going outside. Now, he wishes he’d known earlier about the importance of protecting your skin from the Sun.

The actor is now the face of the new Neutrogena campaign for Ultra Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 70, and he’s adopted sunscreen into his daily routine.

“SPF is more common in the vernacular of women, and that’s because it is directly correlated with beauty,” the actor said.

However, he added: “Men especially are becoming more conscious of self-care. … I just think we need to make it more commonplace.”

Cena described his diagnoses as ‘sobering’ (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

‘My perspective on life has changed’

Cena is now hoping to try and reframe sunscreen as a regular part of daily health, saying: “If someone uses SPF, because they don’t want to get wrinkles, it’s like someone going to the gym saying, ‘I want to be ripped.’ But being ‘ripped’ is essentially making healthier choices.

“So you can go to the gym for aesthetic purposes, but the reward of training goes far more than just aesthetic beauty. I think SPF is in the same lane.”

The actor also pointed out how simple it is to put on sunscreen every day, adding: “I’ve done some pretty aspirational things in the strength and health department, as far as nutritional choices and training regimens, and that’s really complicated, difficult stuff.”

By contrast, wearing sunscreen is just like ‘brushing your teeth’.

Hoping his message sinks in, Cena added: “My perspective on life has changed, but it took some real sobering news. I don’t want anybody to get there, so I’m just trying to use my platform to get ahead of that one.”

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.

A woman is raising awareness of the symptoms she ‘brushed off’ for ‘years’ before being diagnosed with colon cancer.

It can be easy to fall down the rabbit hole of googling symptoms, catastrophizing and self-diagnosing yourself with some rogue disease.

However, it can also be easy to spot small symptoms and dismiss them, reassuring yourself it was a one off, is nothing to worry about and because you’re feeling fit and healthy, you’re fine.

However, a woman named Crystal who ended up with a ‘shock’ diagnosis of colon cancer in 2022 has since opened up about when she ‘first noticed something was off’ but why it took ‘years of ignoring the symptoms’ before she was finally diagnosed.

In an interview with The Patient Story, Crystal explained she ‘started to notice there was blood in [her] stool’ (poo) in 2012 – a whole decade before her diagnosis.

“It would last for a couple of days,” she continued. “And so I would google it and it would say it could be anything from haemorrhoids to colon cancer.

“There were so many things it could be but naturally, I’m just like, ‘Well, I don’t have cancer, so it’s probably haemorrhoids or something.'”

Crystal recalls the blood would stop appearing ‘after a couple of days’ and so ultimately she ‘just kind of let it go’.

But a few years ago, she decided to go to a doctor.

Crystal has warned people never to ignore blood in their stool (Getty Stock Image)

The doctor scheduled a colonoscopy for Crystal – a colonoscopy ‘an examination of the inside of your large intestine (colon),’ Cleveland Clinic explains.

“It’s helpful for diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. It can also help treat and prevent colon cancer. Healthcare providers recommend routine colonoscopies for middle-aged and older adults to screen for cancer,” it states.

However, after getting ‘really sick’ from drinking the liquid you need to consume prior to the colonoscopy, Crystal didn’t end up going through with the examination.

“And I didn’t reschedule. I didn’t go back,” she continued. “And then as the years went on, it became easier to just kind of ignore.”

Crystal explained the blood in her stools would ‘come back’ but then ‘go away’ – the fluctuation making it easier for her to dismiss the symptom.

But in 2022, she started experiencing ‘really excruciating pain’ in her lower abdomen.

Crystal’s symptoms became more severe (Getty Stock Image)

She described it as being ‘almost like a menstrual cramp but way worse’.

Crystal rushed herself to urgent care, but ultimately after the pain went away after several days, she left.

However, when she began experiencing abnormal UTIs – her urine a ‘really disgusting smell’ – she got antibiotics, but the UTIs returned weeks later – this going on for around two to three months.

When the antibiotics continued to not work, Crystal underwent a CAT scan and was called straight back so doctors could do a scope of her bladder – doctors noticing something ‘intruding into it’.

After being sent to a bigger hospital, Crystal had further scans alongside finally getting a colonoscopy and was ultimately diagnosed with colon cancer.

Crystal went through multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and lost her bladder too.

Despite the trauma of the experience, she reflects it forced her to ‘let people in’, advising anyone else in a similar position to do the same.

She said: “That’s the only thing that got me through it.”

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.

A new dad who was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer at 29 years old has shared six symptoms he wished he’d paid more attention to when he had the chance.

TikTok user Joe Faratzis now works as an advocate for young people who are navigating cancer, after going through the experience himself under the age of 30.

He has now thankfully reached a point where there is no evidence of disease present, however, he continues to share insights, updates and information for people to raise awareness.

In one post on TikTok, Joe reflects on a number of symptoms he experienced before his diagnosis and encourages people not to avoid booking an appointment with the doctor if they experience any themselves.

“Early screening could save you and your family from having to go through a cancer diagnosis,” he says.

Joe Faratzis recalled constant sweating as one of his symptoms (TikTok/@radiant14percent)

Constant sweating

Joe described experiencing ‘constant sweating and night sweats’ prior to his diagnosis; symptoms which the National Cancer Institute says are ‘common in cancer patients and survivors’.

Hot flashes and night sweats can be caused due to cancer treatment, however, Healthline notes they can also be an early symptom of some cancers.

If sweating is due to cancer, it will likely come along with other symptoms such as a fever or weight loss.

Abdominal pain and cramping

Different to a regular stomach ache, Joe recalled feeling pain in his lower-right abdomen, as well as cramping in his abdomen, mostly when he was bent over.

According to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, most colon cancer patients who go to their clinic describe a similar pain; an ‘intermittent crampy feeling in their abdomen’.

However, some patients do not experience any pain at all.

Joe recalled going to the bathroom more often prior to his diagnosis (TikTok/@radiant14percent)

Change in bowel habits and constipation

Joe recalled realizing that he was going to the bathroom more often prior to his cancer diagnosis, which is a common symptom of colon cancer.

He also described experiencing constipation and cramps, which the American Cancer Institute notes as some of the changes that can take place due to colon cancer.

Patients may also experience diarrhoea or narrowing of the stool which lasts for more than a few days, as well as the feeling of needing to go to the bathroom, but not feeling relieved when you go.

Blood in the poo

Joe remembered seeing blood in his poo when he went to the bathroom; another symptom listed by the American Cancer Institute.

Because colorectal cancers can often bleed into the digestive tract, it can make the stool look dark brown or black. Patients may also experience rectal bleeding with bright red blood.

Joe didn’t immediately seek a doctor’s advice when he experienced these symptoms, instead putting them off for ‘months’.

When he finally did get a colonoscopy, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer.

The tumor was originally believed to be localized, but it was later found to have spread to his liver and both lungs.

Over the next few years, Joe went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation before he was declared to have no evidence of cancer.