Joe Biden Diagnosed with Aggressive Prostate Cancer, Family Weighing Treatment Options
Former President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones, his office announced Sunday. The diagnosis comes just a week after a “small nodule” was detected during a routine physical.
Doctors confirmed the cancer with a Gleason score of 9—the most severe grade, indicating fast-growing and aggressive tumors. Despite the seriousness of the condition, Biden’s team says the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which means it may respond well to treatment.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” read the official statement.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is common in men over 65, and hormone-sensitive cases can be managed with therapies that reduce testosterone, which fuels cancer growth.
Public Reactions and Family Support
The announcement prompted a wave of responses from political figures. Former President Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump said they were “saddened to hear” the news and wished Biden a “fast and successful recovery.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic nominee for 2024 following Biden’s withdrawal from the race, offered her support:
“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.”
Biden officially stepped away from his reelection campaign earlier this year amid growing concerns over his health and age. Internal reports and growing criticism from within the Democratic Party suggested that staffers had downplayed his cognitive and physical decline during his presidency.
A Personal Fight
Biden has long made cancer a personal and political issue. His son, Beau Biden, died in 2015 from glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain cancer. President Biden has linked his son’s illness to exposure to toxic burn pits during military service.
In 2022, Biden relaunched the Cancer Moonshot initiative, aiming to cut cancer deaths in half by 2047 and improve the lives of patients and survivors.
Biden also has a history of non-melanoma skin cancers and underwent successful Mohs surgery before taking office. In February 2023, a malignant tumor was removed from his chest, and in early 2024, he was declared “fit to serve” after a full medical exam at Walter Reed.
Media, Rumors, and Upcoming Book
As Biden returns to the public eye—with recent appearances on The View and the BBC—a forthcoming book is stirring controversy.
Titled Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, the book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson details internal concerns about Biden’s cognitive and physical decline during his presidency.
According to excerpts, aides discussed the possibility that Biden might need a wheelchair during a second term, and considered ways to conceal his deteriorating condition ahead of the 2024 election.
The book also alleges that senior advisors misled party leaders about the president’s health, fueling frustration among Democratic officials after his decision to run again.
What’s Next
Biden and his family are now reviewing treatment options with his medical team. As the former president faces a difficult health journey, supporters and critics alike are reflecting on his long career—and how his final battle could shape his legacy.
