Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his office announced on Sunday (19 May 2025).
The 82-year-old Democrat received the diagnosis on 16 May 2025 after experiencing urinary symptoms and doctors discovered a prostate nodule.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” the statement from his office read.
Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis Details and Treatment Options
Biden’s cancer was assigned a Gleason score of 9 out of 10 (Grade Group 5), indicating a highly aggressive form of the disease.
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer that looks “very abnormal” receives the highest rating of Grade 5.
Dr Herbert Lepor, an urologist at NYU Langone, noted that a score of 9 is “very high risk,” but added that many men can live “five to 10 years and beyond” even with metastatic prostate cancer.
Dr Chris George, medical director of the cancer program for the Northwestern Health Network, explained that while prostate cancer is no longer curable once it spreads to the bones, there are treatments that can control it.
Hormone therapy is a common treatment that can shrink tumors and slow cancer growth, but is not a cure.
The former president and his family are currently reviewing treatment options with his physicians.
Cancers that have spread, or metastasized, are considered Stage 4, the most advanced stage.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that of the 236,659 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in 2021, 70 percent were detected before the cancer had spread beyond the prostate.
About 8 percent of new prostate cancer diagnoses that year involved advanced-stage disease.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men, with one in eight men in the United States diagnosed with it over their lifetime.
While highly treatable if discovered early, it remains the second-leading cause of cancer death in men.
Political Reactions and Biden’s Health History
President Donald Trump, who has frequently criticized Biden despite being just four years his junior, expressed sympathy following the announcement.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, referring to first lady Melania Trump. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, who stepped in as the Democratic nominee after Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, also offered words of support.
“Joe is a fighter. I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership,” Harris stated.
Former President Barack Obama, under whose administration Biden led a “cancer moonshot” initiative, said: “Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe. I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace.”
Biden has faced several health challenges throughout his life. In 1972, his wife and baby daughter were killed in a car crash. He underwent surgery twice in 1988 for brain aneurysms.
In 2023, doctors removed a basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, from his chest.
The former president’s son, Beau Biden, died at age 46 from an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2015, a tragedy that deeply affected Biden and motivated his involvement in cancer research initiatives.
In 2022, Biden revived the Cancer Moonshot program, seeking to reduce the cancer death rate by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years.
A Senate report released earlier in May showed that the Trump administration cut cancer research funding by 31 percent in the first three months of 2025, compared with the same period in 2024.
Biden’s health and age were frequent topics of discussion during his presidency. He ended his bid for reelection last July following a debate performance against Trump that raised concerns among Democrats about his cognitive abilities.
Since leaving office in January 2025 as the oldest serving US president in history, Biden has maintained a low profile, making only a handful of public appearances.
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