Former U.S. President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.
The diagnosis was confirmed in a statement from his office on Sunday, just months after Biden withdrew from the 2024 presidential race due to health and age-related concerns.
The former president underwent a medical evaluation last week after experiencing urinary symptoms. He was diagnosed on Friday with a high-grade form of the disease, with a Gleason score of 9 out of 10. This indicates an aggressive cancer with a high likelihood of spreading. His cancer has been classified as hormone-sensitive, which doctors say typically allows for a broader range of treatment options, according to the BBC.
Biden and his family are currently reviewing possible treatment plans. Medical experts suggest that while bone metastasis indicates the disease is no longer curable, it may still be manageable through hormonal therapy and other interventions.
Patients with similar diagnoses often respond well to initial treatments and may live for several years with the condition. Biden has long been an advocate for cancer research, having relaunched the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative with First Lady Jill Biden in 2022.
The program aims to significantly reduce cancer deaths by 2047. His interest in cancer research was partly motivated by the loss of his eldest son, Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015.
