Former president Joe Biden marked the end of a major round of cancer treatment, ringing a bell after completing weeks of radiation therapy for an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
“I can confirm that he has completed a course of radiation therapy,” Biden spokesperson Kelly Scully said in a statement, adding that the former president “rang the bell” at Penn Medicine Radiation Oncology in Philadelphia.
Ringing the bell is a long-standing ritual for patients finishing a course of treatment and symbolizes progress in a patient’s treatment.
Biden’s office first announced his diagnosis in May, revealing that the cancer had spread to his bones but was responding to hormone therapy, which doctors said allowed for “effective management.”
The 82-year-old also underwent surgery last month to remove several skin cancer lesions from his head using Mohs surgery, a procedure that cuts away affected tissue until no cancer remains.
The former president’s team has released few updates since his diagnosis, and Monday’s news was one of only a handful of public appearances Biden has made since leaving the White House.
On Instagram, his daughter, Ashley, posted a video of her father ringing the bell, writing, “Thank you to the incredible doctors, nurses, and staff at Penn Medicine. We are so grateful!”
She added, “Dad has been so damn brave throughout his treatment. Grateful.”
She followed up that message by blasting President Trump, trashing him for ripping down a section of the White House to start the construction of his controversial bathroom. “He literally destroys everything GOOD.”
Scully declined to comment on whether Biden would continue further therapy.
Since departing office, Biden has largely kept a low profile in Delaware, where he lives with his family. Still, he’s remained a regular target of President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, who continue to investigate his post-presidency conduct, including his use of the autopen.
Last month, the Joe and Jill Biden Foundation announced the formation of a board for his forthcoming presidential library, to be built in his home state.
Prostate cancer is among the most common cancers in men—roughly one in eight will receive a diagnosis during their lifetime—but Biden’s form is considered advanced and more difficult to treat once it spreads beyond the prostate.
Despite his health challenges, Biden is slated to travel to Boston this weekend to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute.
The post Joe Biden Rings the Bell After Completing Cancer Treatment appeared first on The Daily Beast.
