Biden undergoes Mohs surgery to remove skin cancer lesions

Former President Joe Biden recently underwent Mohs surgery to remove skin cancer lesions, his spokesperson said Thursday, after a video showing a fresh scar on his forehead drew public attention. The 82 year old was filmed leaving a church in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, earlier this month with a visible wound on his forehead, prompting questions about the origin of the mark. A spokesperson confirmed the procedure after the footage circulated.

The spokesperson, Kelly Scully, said the surgery performed was Mohs surgery, a technique that removes thin layers of skin until no cancer cells remain and is widely used for certain types of skin cancer. The confirmation followed public sightings of Biden wearing a baseball cap in the days after the church appearance and a photograph earlier showing a bandage over the same area at a recent funeral.

A dermatologist who reviewed the footage said the appearance was consistent with a surgical excision rather than a simple bump or laceration. Dr. Doris Day of NYU Langone told reporters that the size and pattern of the wound suggested a procedure such as skin cancer surgery and that she would not expect that many stitches from an ordinary head injury.