Joe Biden Diagnosed with Aggressive Prostate Cancer That Has Spread to Bones
Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones, according to a statement released by his office on Sunday. Biden, 82, is currently reviewing treatment options with his medical team.
The statement said the diagnosis was made on Friday after Biden sought medical attention for worsening urinary symptoms and a newly identified prostate nodule. While the disease is aggressive, it has been classified as hormone-sensitive, which doctors say allows for effective management through therapy.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” the statement read. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
Prostate cancer is common in older men and often progresses slowly. However, Biden’s cancer was found to have a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) — the most severe classification — indicating highly abnormal cancer cells, according to the American Cancer Society. Hormone therapy, often used in such cases, can reduce tumor size and slow progression, though it is not curative.
Biden, who left office in January after serving as the oldest president in U.S. history, faced persistent scrutiny throughout his tenure over his age and fitness for office. Despite concerns — even from within his own party — he often responded defiantly to doubts about his mental and physical condition, famously challenging critics with: “Watch me.”
However, in July of last year, Biden withdrew from his reelection campaign following a widely criticized debate performance against Republican opponent Donald Trump. That moment intensified public concerns about his cognitive state. Vice President Kamala Harris later ran as the Democratic nominee but lost to Trump.
Biden has continued to insist he could have defeated Trump again, but the fallout from his campaign exit has been exacerbated by reports and recordings suggesting his cognitive decline may have been evident long before his withdrawal. A forthcoming book, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again” by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios journalist Alex Thompson, is expected to reignite that conversation when it’s released Tuesday.
Biden’s health history is extensive. He underwent surgeries for brain aneurysms in 1988 and had multiple skin cancers removed over the years, including a basal cell carcinoma in 2023. His personal life has also been marked by tragedy — in 1972, his wife and infant daughter were killed in a car crash. His eldest son, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer in 2015.