Former U.S. President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, according to a statement released by his office on Sunday.
The diagnosis was made on Friday after Biden sought medical evaluation for urinary symptoms. His office confirmed that he and his family are currently consulting with physicians to determine the best course of treatment.
“Although this is a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer is hormone-sensitive, which opens the door to effective treatment options,” the statement read.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), of the more than 236,000 prostate cancer cases diagnosed in 2021, around 70% were identified before the cancer had metastasized. Only about 8% involved advanced-stage disease where the cancer had already spread beyond the prostate.
Biden’s health has been under close public scrutiny during and after his presidency from 2021 to 2025. In July of the previous year, he abruptly ended his reelection campaign just weeks after a widely criticized debate performance against Republican rival Donald Trump led to concern within the Democratic Party.
In an unexpected show of support, former President Donald Trump expressed sympathy for Biden and his wife, Jill, in a post on Truth Social, his personal social media 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.”
Biden’s cancer has been scored as a 9 out of 10 on the Gleason grading scale—a system used to assess the severity of prostate cancer. A score of 9 indicates a high-risk form of the disease.
Dr. Herbert Lepor, a urologist at NYU Langone, noted that while a Gleason score of 9 is concerning, advances in medical treatment have improved outcomes significantly.
“Many men with metastatic prostate cancer can live five to ten years or more,” he said. “Treatment options have evolved considerably over the past decade.”
Biden’s team has not yet announced a specific treatment plan but emphasized that his condition is being closely monitored and managed by a team of specialists.
