Former US President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his staff said in a statement.
Biden experienced urination problems, which led doctors to discover a lump on his prostate. The diagnosis was confirmed on Friday after a pathological examination, which found cancer cells in bone tissue.
– While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians, Biden’s spokesperson said.
Prostate cancer is graded on the Gleason scale from 6 to 10, with 8–10 indicating higher aggressiveness. Biden’s cancer has been graded as a 9. When prostate cancer has spread to the bones, treatment becomes more complicated, but hormone-suppressing therapies can be effective.
– It’s very treatable, but not curable. Most men in this situation would be treated with drugs and would not be advised to have either surgery or radiation therapy, said Dr. Matthew Smith of Massachusetts General Brigham Cancer Center.
Greetings from friends and foes
As is customary when a political leader falls ill or is injured, tributes and wishes for a speedy recovery poured in from both allies and political opponents.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery”, Donald Trump wrote on social media.
“Joe is a fighter – and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership”, declared Biden’s former running mate and vice president, Kamala Harris.
Former President Barack Obama also expressed his support: “Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace”.
Was Biden’s ill health kept secret?
Biden’s faltering physical and mental health was a recurring topic of debate during his presidency, when, after appearing extremely confused and almost senile during a debate against Trump in 2024, he was finally forced to suspend his re-election campaign. Harris later took over as the Democratic candidate but lost to Trump.
According to the book Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, Biden’s aides systematically concealed the extent of his ill health during his term in office – something that Biden himself has dismissed as false.
It should be noted that Biden has previously been treated for basal cell carcinoma (a common form of skin cancer) in 2023 and a potentially precancerous polyp in his colon in 2021.
In 2022, he also launched the Cancer Moonshot initiative, with the goal of halving cancer mortality within 25 years – a follow-up to his work as vice president after the death of his son Beau from brain cancer in 2015.
