Lesion removed from Jill Biden’s left eyelid was noncancerous, doctor says
Written by ABC AUDIO on January 19, 2023
(WASHINGTON) — A small lesion removed from first lady Jill Biden’s left eyelid last week has been found to be noncancerous, White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said Thursday.
In a memo, O’Connor shared an update following Biden’s Mohs surgery to remove other cancerous tissue. He said the lesion on Biden’s left eyelid, which was removed through simple excision, was a seborrheic keratosis, a “very common, totally harmless, non-cancerous skin growth.”
No additional treatment will be required, he said.
The first lady underwent the outpatient procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Jan. 11 to remove a small lesion above her right eye and on the left side of her chest that were found to be small basal cell carcinomas, in addition to the lesion that was found on her left eyelid, the White House has said.
Last week, O’Connor said that the lesion on the first lady’s left eyelid was being sent for examination.
“Dr. Biden is recovering nicely from her procedures. She is experiencing some anticipated mild bruising and swelling, but feels very well,” O’Connor said in his memo Thursday to the first lady’s press secretary.
President Joe Biden accompanied the first lady to her procedure at Walter Reed last week. He told reporters the next day that she was doing “really well.”
“She’s recovering and she’s gonna be sore for a while because of the work they did on her eyes. … But you know, that’s where one of these [lesions] were. But she is — 0, 0 to 1% chance of ever returning of any cancer, and so thank god,” he said at the time.
The first lady, 71, has urged Americans to get cancer screenings that may have been delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Together, we’re going to make sure everyone has access to the screenings they need so that they can catch cancer before it’s deadly,” she said at an October cancer “moonshot” event focused on curbing the disease.
“We’re going to find the best way to help people get vaccines, screenings like mammograms and pap smears, and all of the care that they need — no matter their race, ZIP code or background. And we’re going to come together to accelerate research so we can better treat these diseases and save more lives,” she said.
The moonshot initiative is the Biden White House’s goal to reduce the cancer death rate nationwide by half within 25 years and “end cancer as we know it today.”
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