The polyp removed from President Joe Biden’s colon last week was a slow-growing, benign lesion requiring no follow-up procedures, his doctors revealed Wednesday.
AP reports the specimen, a tubular adenoma, was similar to one removed from Biden in 2008, Dr. Kevin C. O’Connor, physician to the president, wrote in a memo released by the White House.
Routine surveillance, which normally calls for another colonoscopy in seven to 10 years, was recommended, he wrote.
Biden was placed under anesthesia during last week’s examination, as Breitbart News reported.
The hospital visit was part of his first annual physical exam in office at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland, requiring Vice President Kamala Harris to become the first woman to hold presidential authority as he underwent the routine procedure.
The Mayo Clinic defines a colon polyp as a small clump of cells that forms on the lining of the colon. Most colon polyps are harmless, according to Mayo’s website, but some colon polyps can develop into colon cancer over time.
“The best prevention for colon cancer is regular screening for and removal of polyps,” the clinic advises, according to the AP report.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adult men between ages 45 and 75 get screened regularly for colorectal cancer, including colonoscopies.
Biden, who turned 79 last week and is the nation’s oldest president, remains “healthy” and “vigorous” and fit for duty, O’Connor said in his initial report after Biden’s first routine physical in office.
The president is showing some signs of aging, the doctor noted.
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