Washington, D.C. — Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones, his office announced in a statement released Sunday.
The diagnosis was made on Friday, following a series of medical evaluations prompted by increasing urinary symptoms and the discovery of a prostate nodule. The 82-year-old Democrat and his family are said to be currently reviewing treatment options with his medical team.
“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.
Though common among older men, prostate cancer that spreads beyond the gland — especially to bones — is far more serious. Biden’s cancer has been classified with a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5), the highest severity level used to grade prostate tumors. According to the American Cancer Society, this rating indicates that the cancer cells look “very abnormal” and tend to grow and spread quickly.
Hormone therapy is often employed in such cases to shrink tumors and slow the progression of the disease, though it is not a curative option.
Health Concerns and Public Scrutiny
Biden, who left office in January 2025 after becoming the oldest serving U.S. president in history, had long faced questions about his health, stamina, and cognitive abilities during his time in the White House.
Throughout his presidency, critics and some within his own party questioned whether he was fit for the demanding role. His frequent retort — “Watch me” — became a refrain aimed at silencing doubters.
However, mounting concern about his age and fitness peaked in July 2024 when he withdrew from his re-election bid following a disastrous debate performance against Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. That moment led to Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the Democratic nominee — though she eventually lost to Trump in the November 2024 election.
Biden has since insisted that he could have won re-election had he remained in the race.
Book and Audio Recording Fuel Debate
The news of Biden’s cancer diagnosis comes amid renewed scrutiny over his final years in office, fueled in part by an upcoming book titled “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again” by Jake Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios.
Additionally, a recently surfaced audio recording of Biden struggling with memory lapses and hesitations during a private event has reignited debate about his mental sharpness in office.
A Life of Resilience and Loss
Biden’s life has long been marked by personal tragedy and resilience. In 1972, shortly after his election to the U.S. Senate at age 29, he lost his wife and infant daughter in a car crash. He survived two brain aneurysms in 1988, underwent removal of non-melanoma skin cancers over the years, and in 2023 had a basal cell carcinoma removed from his chest.
His son, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer in 2015 — a loss that deeply affected the former president and shaped his political legacy.
As he faces this latest health challenge, Biden is reportedly surrounded by his family and a team of medical professionals, weighing options for managing what is now a critical chapter in an already eventful public life.
