Precancerous Lesions Removed From Clinton
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WASHINGTON — Doctors removed several precancerous skin lesions from President Clinton’s forehead and from behind his ear last week.
The procedure was not mentioned in a report the White House put out on the results of Clinton’s annual physical examination on Friday but was disclosed Monday by Press Secretary Mike McCurry after reporters asked about a red blotch on Clinton’s face.
McCurry said doctors removed several actinic keratoses as a precaution while Clinton was at Bethesda Naval Hospital.
“They are not cancerous,” he said.
Actinic keratoses are common among middle-aged people, usually caused by overexposure to the sun. The lesions generally are removed because there is a chance they can become cancerous.
The patches were removed by freezing with liquid nitrogen, and the treatment left a large red blotch on Clinton’s forehead.
McCurry quoted Clinton’s physician, Dr. E. Connie Mariano, as saying that Clinton, a frequent jogger and golfer, was “pretty good about using sunscreen.”
He said Clinton had other lesions removed from his face in the past.
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