BETHESDA: During Wednesday's surgery, the White House physician said that Jill Biden, the first lady of the United States, had three cancerous skin lesions removed from her left eyelid, one from her chest, and one from her face.
President Joe Biden and the 71-year-old first lady attended the outpatient procedure for more than eight hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
The White House physician stated that all cancerous tissue had been removed.
Later in the afternoon on Wednesday, the president made his way back to the White House. Vanessa Valdivia, the first lady's spokesperson, stated that she had returned separately and was "doing well and in good spirits."
A skin lesion above Jill Biden's right eye required surgical removal, so she went to the hospital. The procedure, according to White House physician Kevin O'Connor, "confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma."
"All cancerous tissue was successfully removed, and any remaining skin cancer cells were removed from the margins." "Do not anticipate any additional procedures will be required, but we will closely monitor the area as it heals," he stated.
O'Connor stated that a small lesion on Jill Biden's left eyelid was also discovered, and it was completely removed and sent for additional examination.
O'Connor stated that the first lady's left chest had an additional "area of concern" that was consistent with potential basal cell carcinoma during her preoperative consultation.
The diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma was confirmed after this lesion was also removed. O'Connor stated, "Again, all cancerous tissue was successfully removed."
According to the doctor, lesions of basal cell carcinoma do not typically "spread," or metastasize, like those of more serious skin cancers like melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma.
He stated that they do have the potential to grow in size, which would make the problem more serious and make it more difficult to perform surgical removal.
O'Connor stated that despite Jill Biden's facial swelling and bruising, she was in good spirits and in good health.
On Wednesday, just after 8 a.m. EST, the president and first lady made their way to the Walter Reed facility in suburban Bethesda, Maryland.
Karine Jean-Pierre, a press secretary for the White House, stated that President Biden "wanted to be there to support her." He wanted to be there with his wife after 45 years of marriage."
To remove and definitively examine the tissue, the first lady underwent a common procedure known as Mohs surgery.
Mohs surgery involves carefully examining each skin layer for signs of cancer before cutting away thin layers. Preserving healthy tissue and reducing the need for additional treatment means that the process continues until there is no evidence of cancer.
The Bidens are ardent supporters of cancer prevention efforts.
As part of an effort to revive the "Cancer Moonshot" program that began while he was vice president under Democratic President Barack Obama, President Biden announced an initiative last year to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the course of the next 25 years.
Beau Biden, Biden's 46-year-old son, died of brain cancer in 2015.