Former President Joe Biden Diagnosed With Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Key Takeaways

• Former President Joe Biden has Stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his bones

• His cancer is hormone-sensitive, which means there are treatment options

• Experts say many men can live years with this type of diagnosis

MONDAY, May 19, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his office announced Sunday.

Doctors found the cancer after Biden reported urinary symptoms. Testing showed a small nodule on his prostate. 

His medical team said the cancer has a Gleason score of 9, which means it is one of the most aggressive forms. The cancer is Stage 4, meaning it has spread to other parts of the body.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” according to a statement from Biden’s office reported in The New York Times. 

“The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” the statement said.

Biden, 82, was the oldest person to serve as U.S. president. He left office in January after ending his re-election campaign due to health concerns and pressure from his own party.

Experts say Biden’s condition is serious, but they are hopeful. Once prostate cancer spreads to the bones, it can’t be cured — but treatments can help people live longer.

Men whose prostate cancer has spread “can live five, seven, 10 or more years,” Dr. Judd Moul, a prostate cancer expert at Duke University in Durham, N.C., told The Times.

Doctors often begin treatment by lowering testosterone, which helps fuel prostate cancer. This used to mean removing the testicles, but today it’s done with hormone-blocking injections or pills.

Moul said he sees many men Biden’s age with the same diagnosis. "Survival rates have almost tripled in the last decade," he told The Times.

Biden was beyond the age for routine prostate cancer screening. Most medical organizations recommend stopping routine screening at age 70, though some patients continue. Biden was tested because he had symptoms.

After news of the diagnosis broke, other politicians shared their messages of encouragement.

More from this section

Man’s numbness on right side of body was sign of deadly brain tumor

Signs your child may be addicted to social media

Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Philadelphia in 1976 was mysterious and deadly – 50 years later, scientists know the cause but outbreaks continue

President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly made caustic criticisms of Biden since returning to the White House, struck a much gentler tone on social media.

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” he wrote. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery."

Former Vice President Kamala Harris also shared 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,” she wrote on social media. “We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”

Since leaving office, Biden has stayed mostly out of the spotlight, living in Delaware and occasionally traveling to Washington.

Earlier this year, he defended himself against claims of mental decline in interviews.

“They are wrong,” Biden said during a recent interview on ABC-TV's “The View.” “There’s nothing to sustain that.”

Biden has dealt with serious health issues in the past. He survived two brain aneurysms in 1988, and his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015.

More information

The Mayo Clinic has more on prostate cancer.

SOURCE: The New York Times, May 18, 2025

What This Means For You

Biden’s diagnosis is serious, but treatment can help.