Prostate cancer screening: Expert weighs in after Biden's diagnosis

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with grade group 5 de novo metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, according to a recent announcement from his office.¹ This diagnosis has raised important discussion surrounding prostate cancer screening.

In a recent interview with Urology Times®, Adam B. Weiner, MD, a urologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, who is not involved with President Biden’s care, walked through the current recommendations for prostate cancer screening.

According to Weiner, it is recommended that men begin screening around ages 50 to 55 years. Some men who are higher risk for prostate cancer—such as those of African ancestry, those with a family history of prostate cancer, and those with genetic alterations that place them at higher risk—may initiate screening earlier.²

Weiner also noted, “As important as the age of starting to screen is the age to decide to stop screening. While some guidelines provide a strict age cutoff, typically 70, in terms of probably when the risk of screening outweigh the benefits, the true conversation comes between the primary care provider and the patient themselves.”

In light of President Biden's diagnosis, primary care providers may also see an influx of patients with questions and concerns surrounding screening.

On this, Weiner added, “I think it's still important for patients to have that conversation with their primary care physician about the risk and benefits of screening, to really personalize the choice and make decisions that are right for them. If there's ever an abnormal screening test, it's always important to get that referral to urology to have a more informed decision-making process about the next step in prostate cancer screening.”

However, he also explained that an abnormal prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test may not always warrant a subsequent prostate biopsy.

“We don't like to do biopsies on people that we don't think warrant it,” he said. “We're very saddened by the fact that [President Biden's] diagnosis was made in the metastatic stage. At the same time, I think we tend to do a good job at trying to screen the right people, biopsy the right people, and offer treatment to the right people.”

REFERENCES

1. Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive form’ of prostate cancer. CNN. May 19, 2025. Accessed May 20, 2025. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/18/politics/joe-biden-prostate-cancer

2. Wei JT, Barocas D, Carlsson S, et al. Early detection of prostate cancer: AUA/SUO guideline part I: prostate cancer screening. J Urol. 2023;210(1):45-53