WASHINGTON. Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his office confirmed Sunday, following concerns raised by recent urinary symptoms. The 82-year-old was found to have a nodule on his prostate, and after further evaluation, cancer cells were discovered to have spread to his bones.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” his office said in a statement. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
Biden’s prostate cancer was assigned a Gleason score of 9, which places it among the most aggressive types of the disease. The Gleason grading system, ranging from 6 to 10, assesses how likely the cancer will grow and spread. Scores of 8, 9, and 10 are considered high-grade and aggressive.
Prostate cancer that spreads to other areas of the body, most commonly to bones, is significantly more challenging to treat than cancer that remains localized. Metastatic cancer often resists full eradication due to the difficulty of reaching all tumor sites.
However, Biden’s cancer is hormone-sensitive, which gives doctors a key avenue for treatment by using therapies that cut off the hormones fueling tumor growth.
“It’s very treatable, but not curable,” said Dr. Matthew Smith of Massachusetts General Brigham Cancer Center. “Most men in this situation would be treated with drugs and would not be advised to have either surgery or radiation therapy.”
Messages of support poured in from both allies and political rivals. Former President Donald Trump, a frequent political adversary, expressed sympathy on social media, saying, “we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Vice President Kamala Harris wrote online, “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.”
Former President Barack Obama, who worked closely with Biden for eight years, praised his former running mate’s perseverance. “Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace,” Obama said.
Biden’s health had been a recurring concern during his presidency. After a widely criticized performance in a June debate while seeking reelection, he ended his campaign for a second term. Kamala Harris stepped in as the Democratic nominee but lost to Trump, who reclaimed the presidency after a four-year absence from the White House.
Despite his age and health issues, Biden remained defiant. In the recent political book Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, it was revealed that aides had allegedly concealed the extent of Biden’s physical and cognitive decline during his presidency.
This latest diagnosis adds to Biden’s history of health issues. In February 2023, he had a basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer, removed from his chest. In November 2021, doctors also removed a benign but potentially precancerous polyp from his colon.
Biden’s battle against cancer has long been personal. In 2015, his eldest son Beau died of brain cancer, a tragedy that led him to launch the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative during his vice presidency. In 2022, he revived the program as president to halve the cancer death rate in the U.S. over the next 25 years.
“This could be an American moment to prove to ourselves and, quite frankly, the world that we can do really big things,” Biden said at the time.
Edgaroo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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