Jill Biden: US first lady undergoes surgery to remove cancerous lesion

Presidential physician says doctors also removed lesion on first lady's chest

The president's physician said doctors removed two cancerous lesions from US first lady Jill Biden, one above her right eye and another on her chest. AP

US first lady Jill Biden underwent successful surgery on Wednesday to remove a cancerous lesion discovered during a routine screening.

The cancerous tissue was successfully removed and doctors "do not anticipate any more procedures will be needed", said Dr Kevin O'Connor.

President Joe Biden accompanied his wife to the Walter Reed National Military Centre. She was expected to return to the White House later on Wednesday.

The small lesion was above Ms Biden’s right eye.

"As anticipated, the first lady is experiencing some facial swelling and bruising, but is in good spirits and doing well," Dr O'Connor said.

Ms Biden underwent a routine operation known as Mohs surgery to eliminate and examine the tissue.

An "additional area of concern" was discovered on the left side of Ms Biden's chest during her pre-operative consultation, which was similar to basal cell carcinoma.

Dr O'Connor said that all cancerous tissue from the lesion was removed in the Mohs operation.

The Mayo Clinic’s website says that Mohs surgery involves cutting away thin layers of skin and each layer is looked at closely for signs of cancer.

The process is repeated until there are no signs of cancer.

“The goal of Mohs surgery is to remove all of the skin cancer without hurting the healthy skin around it,” the Mayo Clinic said.

“Mohs surgery allows the surgeon to be sure that all the cancer is gone. This makes it more likely that the cancer is cured. It reduces the need for other treatments or more surgery.”

Reuters contributed to this report