Biden Has Surgery to Remove Skin Cancer

Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. underwent surgery recently to remove skin cancer lesions and was seen with a large scar on his forehead.

Mr. Biden’s skin cancer procedure, which his spokeswoman Kelly Scully said on Thursday was a Mohs surgery, comes three months after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

The disclosure from Mr. Biden’s office was made after the television show “Inside Edition” published footage of Mr. Biden leaving a Delaware church service with a scar that is several inches long above his right eye.

Ms. Scully did not disclose when Mr. Biden had the skin cancer procedure. In 2023, when he was president, he had a cancerous lesion removed from his chest during a physical exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The Mohs procedure Mr. Biden underwent is widely practiced to remove skin cancer lesions. It allows surgeons to remove the cancerous roots, which left unchecked can spread into the body into blood vessels, nerves and cartilage.

In May Mr. Biden, 82, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. Patients with a similar Stage 4 diagnosis typically live five to 10 years. That’s a much better prognosis than if he had been diagnosed just a few years ago. Treatments can include hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiation or other drugs.

Later that month, he told reporters he was doing well after beginning treatments. “The prognosis is good,” he said then. “We’re working on everything. All the folks are optimistic,” he added, referring to his medical team.

Mr. Biden ended his attempt to win re-election last July after concerns about his age overwhelmed his campaign following his abysmal performance during the first general election debate with Donald J. Trump.