Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, his office announced on Sunday, following a recent medical evaluation prompted by urinary symptoms and the discovery of a prostate nodule.
Biden, 82, received the diagnosis on Friday after tests confirmed the cancer had metastasised to the bone—a development that typically signals a more serious progression of the disease. His medical team noted that while the cancer is aggressive, it remains hormone-sensitive, which allows for a range of treatment options.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” Biden’s office said in a statement. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
Doctors assigned Biden a Gleason score of 9, indicating a high-grade cancer with cells that differ significantly from normal prostate cells. Prostate cancers with this score are considered among the most aggressive, often requiring prompt and intensive treatment. When prostate cancer spreads, it frequently targets bones, making treatment more complex and less predictable.
However, experts note that hormone-sensitive cancers, such as Biden’s, can respond well to therapies that limit or block the hormones fuelling tumour growth.
Messages of support poured in from across the political spectrum. Former President Donald Trump, Biden’s longtime rival and successor, expressed sympathy on social media, writing: “We wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also shared her support, saying she and her family were keeping Biden “in our hearts and prayers.” In a statement, she added, “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’s health had long been a focal point during his presidency, particularly during the 2024 election cycle. Following a widely criticised debate performance in June of that year, Biden ended his bid for re-election. Harris went on to secure the Democratic nomination but was ultimately defeated by Trump in his bid to return to the White House.
Despite public concerns, Biden had dismissed suggestions of serious decline. However, recent reporting in Original Sin, a book by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, suggested aides had shielded the public from the extent of his health issues while in office.
This is not Biden’s first encounter with cancer. In February 2023, he underwent surgery to remove a basal cell carcinoma, a common and typically non-aggressive form of skin cancer, from his chest. In 2021, he had a benign polyp removed from his colon.
Biden’s battle against cancer has been a personal and political mission. His son Beau Biden died from brain cancer in 2015, a tragedy that deeply shaped his public service. As president, he launched the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative in 2022 with the goal of halving the cancer death rate within 25 years, a continuation of his efforts as vice president.
At the time, he declared it “an American moment to prove to ourselves and, quite frankly, the world that we can do really big things.”
Biden’s office said further updates on his condition and treatment plan would be provided in due course.
