Joe Biden recently had surgery to remove cancerous cells from his skin, a spokesman for the former US president has confirmed.

The skin cancer scare comes as Mr Biden, 82, has been undergoing treatment for an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer.

A spokesman for the Democrat revealed the prostate cancer diagnosis in May after a small lump was found during a routine physical examination.

His office told NBC News on Thursday that he had since also undergone Mohs surgery, a procedure which removes layers of skin containing cancer cells. Mr Biden was said to be “recovering well”. 

It is unclear when the former president underwent surgery, although public appearances suggest it was in the past month. 

Mr Biden was pictured earlier this week leaving a church in Delaware with a large scar on his forehead.

In August, he was seen wearing a bandage over his head while attending the funeral of Mike Castle, a former Delaware governor.

Performed under local anaesthetic, Mohs surgery is the “gold standard” for treating many basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), according to the Skin Cancer Foundation which notes the procedure targets cells in “cosmetically and functionally important areas around the eyes, nose, lips, ears, scalp, fingers, toes or genitals”.

“Mohs is also recommended for BCCs or SCCs that are large, aggressive or growing rapidly, that have indistinct edges, or have recurred after previous treatment,” the foundation states on its website. “Some surgeons are also successfully using Mohs surgery on certain cases of melanoma.”