Joe Biden Diagnosed with Advanced Prostate Cancer
Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones. This news has rocked Washington and drawn a flood of bipartisan support for the former president.
Biden, 82, received his diagnosis after seeking treatment for urinary symptoms. Doctors discovered a nodule on his prostate, later confirmed to be cancerous. While the disease is among the most serious forms, marked by a Gleason score of 9, it is reportedly hormone sensitive, which offers some hope for effective management.
“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” read a statement from Biden’s spokesperson.
The diagnosis adds a sobering new chapter to Biden’s storied and often deeply personal political career. Having served as president from 2021 to 2025, Biden stepped away from a second term after a faltering debate performance against Donald Trump in 2024 raised concerns about his mental sharpness. He withdrew from the race in July of that year, paving the way for then Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee. She ultimately lost to Trump in November.
Even before stepping down, Biden’s health had been a topic of national conversation. At the time of his election, he was the oldest person ever elected to the presidency, a record Trump would later break. But it was a February 2024 physical that gave many Americans reassurance: doctors described him then as “a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male.”
Now, the reality is more serious.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) captured the mood of many in his party.
“Joe Biden has never backed down from a fight, not in his political life, not in his personal life,” Jeffries said in a statement. “We are praying for his swift and full recovery.”
Support came swiftly from across the political spectrum.
President Donald Trump issued a rare gesture of grace.
“We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” he said, alongside former First Lady Melania Trump.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris called Biden “a fighter.”
“I know he’ll face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership,” she said.
Former President Barack Obama, Biden’s longtime friend and former boss, also weighed in.
“Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe,” Obama said on X. “We pray for a fast and full recovery.”
Biden’s personal history with cancer is especially poignant. His son, Beau Biden, died in 2015 after a battle with brain cancer, a loss that shaped Biden’s advocacy for cancer research and informed his signature Cancer Moonshot initiative.
Doctors say that while the prognosis for metastatic prostate cancer is serious, treatments have evolved. Hormone therapies, targeted radiation, immunotherapy and newer clinical approaches may help manage the disease. Still, according to the Mayo Clinic, the five year survival rate for prostate cancer that has spread to the bones is approximately 37 percent.
Among the many messages of support was one from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a frequent Biden critic, who said she was “sorry to see this news” and shared that her own father died of cancer in 2021.
Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), also expressed empathy.
“I don’t believe times like these are appropriate for politics,” she said. “Wishing nothing but healing, prayers, light and strength to President Biden and his family.”
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