Former US President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones as it became known yesterday, Sunday.

The diagnosis was made after the former president of America visited a doctor last week after discomfort in his urinary tract.

But what is prostate cancer?

Prostate cancer affects the prostate tissue, the part of the male reproductive system that helps to produce sperm. It is located between the penis and the bladder. It usually grows slowly, so it can often develop for years. This means that some people can live for decades without the need for treatment. But this also means that symptoms often do not occur until the cancer has already progressed.

Biden was diagnosed after symptoms in his urinary tract, one of the most common signs of prostate cancer. This is because it is often detected only when the prostate is large enough to have the urethra, the tube that connects the bladder to the penis.

These symptoms may include the need for more frequent urination as well as slow or weak urine flow.

Prostate cancer testing is part of the regular presidential health checks, according to Dr. Jeffrey Kuhlman, a former White House doctor under President Barack Obama.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, according to the American Cancer Society, after lung cancer.

What is the rating in the Gleason system?

The Gleason grading system is used to evaluate prostate cancer in men. This is also the most common way of evaluating the likelihood of the progression and spread of the disease – also known as metastatic cancer.

The scale ranges from six to ten, with a higher number indicating a more aggressive cancer. The former president’s prostate cancer touches level 9 in the system, as announced. This means that this is “high grade cancer”. Nine score cells are very abnormal and are likely to grow rapidly.

What options in treatment does Biden have?

In the case of Biden, cancer is an aggressive nature and has already spread to its bones.

According to Dr. Jamin Vinod Brahmbhatt, Urologist in Orlando Health Medical Group, this level of spread limits treatment options.

While medical remedies such as chemotherapy, steroids and hormone therapy are available, none of them are “therapeutic”, he said.

“There are more medical options for stabilizing the patient and cancer control, but they are never completely free from cancer.”

Biden’s cancer is also said to be hormone sensitive, which means that cancer uses hormones to grow. These types of cancer can be treated with drugs that block or reduce the amount of hormones in the body.

Dr. Brahmbhatt said that while this “opens the toolbox” of the treatment options for Biden, it would take “weeks or months” to see how it will react.

Dr. Kuhlman said Biden could also have the option of participating in “clinical trials for advanced disease” if he meets the integration criteria.

It is said that Biden and his family are examining treatment options.

What is the prognosis?

In Sunday’s announcement, Biden’s office said that because cancer seems to be hormone sensitive, this “allows for effective management”.

The full details of Biden’s case are not known. Dr. Ryan Cleary, a Yrologist at Medstar Health, said: “Generally, about one -third of patients will still be alive after five years of metastatic prostate cancer.”

Advanced stages of prostate cancer can limit a person’s life and lead to symptoms that make daily life difficult.

Dr. Kuhlman describes “10 to 15 years of operation” when examining aggressive cancer treatments and said it is important to examine therapies that maintain the quality of life of Biden in the coming years.

Ryan Cleary,