Biden had benign but potentially precancerous lesion removed during colonoscopy

[question everything]

Source: CNN

President Joe Biden had a single 3-millimeter polyp removed during his routine colonoscopy last week at Walter Reed medical center. The President's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, on Wednesday reported that testing on the polyp has revealed it to be a tubular adenoma, a benign, slow-growing lesion that is thought to be potentially precancerous. The polyp, O'Connor said, is similar to one that Biden had removed in 2008, and he noted that no further action is required at this time. The physician said routine surveillance was recommended for the finding and that Biden would be due for his next colonoscopy in seven to 10 years.

(snip)

Presidents are not required to publicly disclose the results of their annual checkups but have done so to be transparent and assure the American people in the face of questions about their state of health. Presidents, however, have also hidden their illnesses, the severity of their illnesses or medical treatments. Biden, who turned 79 on Saturday, also received a physical while at Walter Reed, marking his first such appointment since he was inaugurated as the oldest first-term president in US history.

Afterward, O'Connor wrote in a memo that Biden "remains fit for duty, and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations." The doctor, who has been with the President since he served as vice president, singled out two areas of "observation" he set aside for detailed investigation: an "increasing frequency and severity of 'throat clearing' and coughing during speaking engagements" and the President's ambulatory gait, or walking abnormality, which O'Connor said was "perceptibly stiffer and less fluid than it was a year or so ago."



Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/24/politics/biden-colonoscopy-lesion-removed/index.html

[Drunken Irishman]

1. I'm glad to read he had something similar in 2008...

...not that I would want him to but it's a relief to know it wasn't much an issue all the way back then either.

[multigraincracker]

2. Smart guy, that's why you get a colonoscopy.

Most polyps take 20 years to turn to cancer.

[Progressive Jones]

3. Exactly. There's been a lot of colon cancer on my maternal side.

I'm over 60. I get checked every 3 years, per my docs. One benign polyp every time. They tell me that's nothing.

Better safe than sorry.

[BlueMTexpat]

19. Same here.

But I do hate the prep.

After that, the procedure itself is a cinch because I get to sleep through it.

I am glad that it will not have to happen again for three more years. Whew!

[ShazzieB]

4. Exactly.

I've had 2 colonoscopies and had polyps removed both times. I may continue to form polyps (evidently some of us just do), but I love knowing that as long as I continue to get regular colonoscopies, any future polyps will be found and removed before they have a chance to turn into something worse.

[MFM008]

5. i get the kind that can turn cancerous

i usually get an exam every 3 years- you can stay on top of this....

[DFW]

6. I had one such polyp when I had my first colonoscopy

That was 18 years ago. Nothing like that since, though I got to teach the colonoscopy team something really important ten years ago.

I had two stents put in due to blocked coronary arteries. The cardiologist told me I’d be on blood thinners for the rest of my life, but the colonoscopy team said stop all blood thinning medication ten days before a colonoscopy. I did, and had my one and only heart attack two hours after the colonoscopy.

The artery-blocking white cells that the blood thinners keep in check need exactly ten days to regenerate to the point where they can cause enough blockage to cause a heart attack. My cardiologist had some harsh words for the colonoscopy team, and I noticed that the next time, the prep form said « five days. »

[Native]

7. They found like 7 benign polyps during my first colonoscopy, and

when I met with my surgeon prior to my 2nd colonoscopy 5 years later, I asked her what the odds were that they wouldn't find any polyps this time. Her answer was something like slim to none, followed by, "We'll find polyps." Well, you guessed it, no polyps. I still have to have to have another colonoscopy in 5 years though. Ugh.

[agingdem]

8. Why is this news? A colonoscopy is recommended for anyone over 50...

The point of a colonoscopy is to remove polyps..benign/pre-cancerous/cancerous…and anyone who survives the prep, sucking down the ridiculously named GoLightly the night before and “survives” that ordeal, deserves a medal…the actual colonoscopy is no big deal..

[frazzled]

11. Though not recommended for low risk people after age75

That is the newest rule. Unless you’ve had precancerous polyps before (like Biden) or family history, it is considered that people over 75 with “normal” colonoscopies should discontinue. The risk of perforation or worse is considered to outweigh benefits after that age.

[DinahMoeHum]

16. There's a new prep out there. . .

It's called SuPrep and I had that for my most recent colonoscopy (a month ago).

It's a box containing a 16-oz plastic cup and 2 6-oz bottles. You take the first bottle with 16 oz of water, drink all of it, then consume 2 pints water within an hour. Best done several hours before your bedtime; after the first couple of hours of eliminating the solid stuff I went to bed and I didn't have to wake up in the middle of the night to shit water.

Next morning, several hours before your examination, you repeat the process with the second bottle.

AFAIC, it's a thousand times better than the GoLitely.

[MissB]

18. also there are now pills instead of suprep

I used SuPrep and found it awful! I would've gladly had the pills had they been offered, and I will ask for them next time.

[twodogsbarking]

9. There are many things that can go wrong with your colon.

None of them are fun.

[usaf-vet]

10. Wait a minute.... real post-procedure data. Why don't we say that Biden is the healthiest POTUS.....

..... in history. And that he has a bigger ah.. brain than 45 could even lie about.

POTUS could easily live to be 150 and have a second career as a NASA scientist winning three Nobel Prizes for his extraordinary gifts to humanity.

[question everything]

21. When it was reported that Harris would be our POTUS for a short time, it was

compared to Whinny Donny who chose to skip sedation and not to give Pence the responsibility for even one minute.

[usaf-vet]

25. So you are saying that he was/is literally a pain in the ass. R..ight! As a former medic I'll bet...

... dollars to donuts that the coward told the lying sycophant of a doctor "give me the shot and don't tell anyone".

Just think how heartless that POS was/is to not even give HIS VP the benefit of saying for a moment in history I was the POTUS.

We all know that he demands absolute loyalty from everyone around him but gives NOTHING back in return.

GOD what a truly horrible excuse for a human being.

[whistler162]

12. I have had them on each

colonoscopy and no follow-up, and we have a family tradition of cancer on both sides.

[Scrivener7]

13. Meh. I get 3 or 4 of those removed every three years.

[LizBeth]

24. 4 this last time. Suppose to do three years but covid, procrastinated to 5 yrs.

had 12 total, 3 precancer first one and they said every three years. I thought I did well going 5 yrs and having only four. It is a Meh, if staying on top of it. Doctor said slow growing and takes time and still low percentage of going into cancer.

[Scrivener7]

26. If we lived a hundred years ago, this would have killed us.

Today, it's just a matter of maintenance every 3 years.

[LizBeth]

27. +1

[The Jungle 1]

14. I have to get this done every year.

It is two days a year I can never get back. Thing is I sure don't want to hear about the presidents session.
Some stuff just needs to stay private. The nation does not need to know about the presidents colon!

[Vinca]

15. Who doesn't get polyps removed at least once during a colonoscopy?

I think I've got a photo of one somewhere. Honest! They gave me some photos. But, we know what's going to happen. The right is going to blow this up into Joe being at death's door and - booga, booga, booga - Kamala's going to be president.

[question everything]

22. I had mine 8 years ago. The verdict was "a boring colon." keeping fingers crossed.

[George II]

17. It's normal and routine to have polyps removed in the course of a colonoscopy.

[packman]

20. And they named the polyp "Little Donny" after removing it from his ass

[question everything]

23. Gross! And this before breakfast!