Former President Joe Biden, 82, was photographed Sept. 7 leaving St. Joseph’s on the Brandywine in Wilmington, Del., showing a large healing scar on his scalp after undergoing a dermatologic procedure to remove skin cancer, his team disclosed after images of the wound circulated publicly.
Biden was seen without the bandage that had covered the area in earlier photographs. His office confirmed he recently underwent Mohs surgery, a technique in which thin layers of skin are removed and examined until cancerous tissue is no longer detected, according to the Mayo Clinic.
It was not immediately clear when the surgery took place. Media accounts note the president had been photographed with a wound on his head in recent weeks, including at the funeral for former Delaware Gov. and Rep. Mike Castle. Biden previously had skin cancer removed while in the White House; a lesion taken from his chest after a February 2023 physical was later identified as basal cell carcinoma.
Biden has also been public about a separate cancer diagnosis this year. In May he announced an "aggressive" prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. His medical team has said that the cancer "appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management." Outside experts have told news organizations that while such disease may be manageable, it is unlikely to be fully cured.
The photographs and the subsequent disclosure of Mohs surgery come amid continued public scrutiny of Biden's health. His longtime White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, declared him "fit to serve" following a routine examination in February 2024. Concerns about Biden's cognitive state intensified after his June 2024 debate performance against President Trump, prompting inquiries from political critics and investigators.
A GOP-led House Oversight Committee is conducting a probe that includes examination of whether officials sought to conceal aspects of Biden's health, including inquiries related to his mental condition and use of an autopen. The committee has issued subpoenas and summoned several former Biden administration officials as part of that investigation.
Meanwhile, Jill Biden, 74, the former first lady, was photographed the day after the church visit leaving a fitness studio in southeastern Pennsylvania where she attended a spin class. She wore exercise attire and a souvenir T-shirt from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Biden's team has limited public comment to routine updates on his medical care; officials have provided few additional details about the timing of the dermatologic procedure beyond confirming that Mohs surgery was performed. Medical experts say Mohs is a common treatment for certain types of skin cancer and is valued for its tissue-sparing approach and high cure rates when used for appropriate lesions.
The photographs and the disclosures add to an ongoing public record about the former president's health that has been periodically updated through physicians' statements, routine physicals and his own announcements. Investigations and public attention from lawmakers and the media are likely to continue as officials and outside clinicians weigh in on the implications of his medical history for public life and political activity.