Former President Joe Biden shared an update on his battle with prostate cancer Tuesday, revealing that radiation treatment he underwent last fall "worked as intended" while urging American men not to delay conversations with their doctors about cancer screening.Biden, 83, issued the update in a lengthy social media post marking Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, saying the occasion was more personal for him following his diagnosis last year."The radiation treatment from last fall worked as intended, and I continue to do the things I care about, like finishing my memoir," Biden wrote.JILL BIDEN SAYS FORMER PRESIDENT WILL LIVE WITH STAGE 4 CANCER 'FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE,' HAS SLOWED DOWNPresident Joseph R.Biden Jr., a Democrat, speaks at the White House in Washington, D.C.
(Reuters)He also thanked the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who have treated him, saying their "skill, dedication, and compassion mean so much."Biden used much of the message to urge men to discuss prostate cancer screening with their doctors, pointing to the dramatically higher survival rate when the disease is detected early.CANCER TREATMENT DELAYS SURGE ACROSS US AS DOCTOR WARNS SYSTEM ‘NEEDS FIXING IMMEDIATELY’Joe Biden continues radiation therapy for Stage 4 prostate cancer that has metastasized to bone, with aides saying the 83-year-old former president remains active and engaged.(Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)"Talk to your doctors.
Ask the hard questions.Do it for yourself, and do it for the people who love you," Biden wrote.Biden said men at average risk should begin discussing prostate cancer screening with their doctors around age 50, while Black men and those with a family history should begin those conversations earlier.SIMPLE SITTING CHANGE LINKED TO LOWER RISK OF CANCER DEATH, STUDY FINDSA man speaks with a doctor during a prostate cancer screening (iStock)The American Cancer Society recommends discussing screening at age 50 for average-risk men, age 45 fo...