Bethesda: US First Lady Jill Biden underwent surgery on Wednesday to remove a skin cancer lesion from her face and chest and a third lesion from her left eyelid, a White House doctor said. went. The 71-year-old first lady, along with President Joe Biden, spent more than eight hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for an outpatient procedure. The White House physician said that all cancerous tissue had been removed.
The president returned to the White House later Wednesday afternoon. The first lady returned separately, said her spokeswoman Vanessa Valdivia, and was “doing well and in good spirits.”
Jill Biden went to the hospital to have a skin lesion removed over her right eye. White House physician Kevin O’Connor said in a statement that the procedure “confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma.”
“All of the cancerous tissue was successfully removed, and the margins were clear of any residual skin cancer cells. We will monitor the area closely as it heals, but it is not anticipated that any further procedures will be needed.” Will be,” he said.
In addition, a small wound was found on Jill Biden’s left eyelid and it was completely cut off and sent for further examination, O’Connor said.
O’Connor said that during her prior consultation, an additional “area of concern” had been identified on the left side of the first lady’s chest, and that this was consistent with possible basal cell carcinoma.
This lesion was also excised and confirmed as basal cell carcinoma. “Again, all cancerous tissue was successfully removed,” O’Connor said.
Basal cell carcinoma lesions do not “spread” or metastasize, as some more serious skin cancers such as melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma are known to do, Dr.
However, they have the potential to increase in size, resulting in a more significant issue as well as increased challenges for surgical removal.
O’Connor said Jill Biden was experiencing some facial swelling and bruising, but was in good spirits and feeling well.
The president and first lady arrived at the Walter Reed facility in suburban Bethesda, Maryland, shortly after 8 a.m. EST on Wednesday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden “wanted to be there to support her.” “He has been married for 45 years now and wants to be there with his wife.”
The first woman had to undergo a common procedure known as Mohs surgery to remove tissue and examine it for sure.
In Mohs surgery, thin layers of skin are cut away after which each is looked at closely for signs of cancer. This process continues until there is no sign of cancer, preserving healthy tissue and minimizing the need for further treatment.
The Bidens are strong advocates of efforts to combat cancer.
Last year, President Biden announced an initiative to reduce cancer death rates by at least 50% over the next 25 years as part of an effort to revive the “Cancer Moonshot” program that Democratic President Barack Obama Started as Deputy Vice President.
Biden’s son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46.