WASHINGTON, USA – Immediate past U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer that has metastasised to his bones, according to a statement released by his personal office on Sunday, May 18, 2025.
The 82-year-old, who served as the 46th president from 2021 to 2025, was recently evaluated after presenting with urinary symptoms.
Doctors discovered a prostate nodule and subsequently determined that the cancer had spread beyond the prostate.
Hormone-Sensitive Cancer Offers Treatment Possibilities
Biden’s office said the cancer, while aggressive, is hormone-sensitive—a characteristic that allows for specific forms of treatment aimed at depriving cancer cells of the hormones they require to grow.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” the statement read.
“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
The cancer was assigned a Gleason score of nine—a measure of how abnormal and aggressive the cancer cells appear under a microscope.
A score of nine, on a scale of one to 10, indicates a highly aggressive cancer with a greater likelihood of spread and recurrence.
Prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States, commonly spreads to the bones when it metastasises, making treatment more complex.
Expressions of Support From Across the Political Spectrum
Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Biden endorsed as his successor after withdrawing from the 2024 race, also posted a statement on X.
“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,” she wrote.
Former President Donald Trump, Biden’s long-time political rival and successor, offered an unexpectedly gracious message of support on his Truth Social platform.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” Trump wrote.
“We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Renewed Scrutiny and Political Fallout
Biden’s diagnosis comes amid the looming release of Original Sin, a forthcoming book by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson.
The book reportedly alleges that key figures in the White House sought to downplay signs of Biden’s cognitive and physical decline during his presidency.
The authors cite interviews with more than 200 aides, lawmakers, and staff, offering accounts of Biden losing his train of thought, failing to remember names, and struggling with public appearances.
The reports coincide with leaked audio from Biden’s 2023 interview with then-special counsel Robert Hur, in which he stumbled over dates and key events.
Although Biden has consistently rejected suggestions that he was too old or unfit for office, critics argue that his decision to initially seek re-election despite visible signs of deterioration has only intensified concerns about transparency in government.
A History of Resilience
Biden is no stranger to personal adversity. He has previously undergone treatment for several non-melanoma skin cancers and had a cancerous lesion removed from his chest in 2023.
In 2022, he launched the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative to cut cancer death rates in half within 25 years—a continuation of the campaign he spearheaded as vice-president in honour of his late son, Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015.
Biden’s life has been shaped by tragedy. In 1972, shortly after winning election to the Senate, his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi were killed in a car crash.
In December 2024, just before leaving office, he controversially pardoned his only surviving son, Hunter Biden, on federal gun and tax charges.
National and Global Responses
Support poured in from political allies, former administration officials, and world leaders.
Pete Buttigieg, former Secretary of Transportation, wrote on X: “President Biden is a man of deep faith and extraordinary resilience. Chasten and I are keeping him, and the entire Biden family, in our prayers for strength and healing.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom added, “A man of dignity, strength, and compassion like his deserves to live a long and beautiful life.”
As Biden and his family consider treatment options, the diagnosis has cast a long shadow over a political career defined by both remarkable comebacks and persistent scrutiny.
For supporters, however, it is also a reminder of the personal battles that have long shaped the man behind the public figure—a man now facing yet another fight, this time for his life.
