On Friday, Former U.S. President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer that spread to his bones on Friday, according to a statement from his spokesperson.
“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” the statement read. “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” it continued. The Gleason score is a grading scale to determine the aggressiveness of prostate cancers among patients, and metastasis describes cancer that spreads to another area of the body.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in 44 will die from its complications. Apart from skin cancer, prostate cancer remains the most common cancer among men in the United States. The ACS also estimates that around 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer and 35,770 deaths from the disease will occur in 2025.
While Biden’s diagnosis represents a more aggressive form of prostate cancer, the cancer is hormone-sensitive, allowing for more effective management through treatment, the statement read.
Biden’s diagnosis comes just four months after he left the White House after serving as U.S. president from 2021 to 2025. He announced last summer that he would not run for a second term in the “best interest of my party and the country.”
Following the announcement of his diagnosis, Former Vice President Kamala Harris called her former running mate a “fighter” in a statement posted on Instagram.
“…I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership,” Harris said. “We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”
President Donald Trump echoed similar sentiments in a statement posted on TruthSocial.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” Trump said. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.“
While the President offered words of support, his son, Donald Trump Jr., accused the former President of using his diagnosis as a cover-up in a post on X. Trump Jr. reshared a post from Dr. Stephen Quay where Quay said it is “highly likely [Biden] was carrying a diagnosis of prostate cancer throughout his White House tenure and the American people were uninformed.”
“What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer, or is this yet another coverup?” Trump Jr.’s post read.
This is not the first time that cancer has affected the Biden family. On May 30, 2015, Biden’s oldest son, Beau, died of glioblastoma at age 46, a rare form of brain cancer. Considered a rising star in Democratic politics, Beau served as Delaware attorney general and was considered to be a top presidential contender.
“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” office officials said.
