Former President Joe Biden diagnosed with 'aggressive' prostate cancer

 Former President Joe Biden diagnosed with 'aggressive' prostate cancer


Biden's office announced his illness Sunday afternoon



Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a statement from his office released Sunday afternoon.

"Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone," the statement read.

"While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians," the statement concluded.

A Gleason score of 9 indicates a high-grade, aggressive form of prostate cancer. It further indicates that the cancer cells look very different from normal prostate cells and are likely to grow and spread rapidly.

Former President Joe Biden appears on ABC News' The View, May 8, 2025.
ABC News

This places the cancer in the Grade Group 5, the highest-risk category, which is associated with a greater likelihood of metastasis and a more challenging prognosis. Yet despite the cancer’s apparent aggressiveness, its hormone-sensitive nature offers a viable treatment pathway, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Reaction to Biden's diagnosis started to roll in as the news broke.

President Donald Trump said he was "saddened" by Biden's diagnosis.

"Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris posted on X that she and her husband Doug Emhoff were keeping Biden and his family in their prayers.

"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.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who served in Biden's Cabinet, said the former president "is a man of deep faith and extraordinary resilience."https://x.com/PeteButtigieg/status/1924211892324594152

"Chasten and I are keeping him, and the entire Biden family, in our prayers for strength and healing," Buttigieg said in a post on X.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Biden confirmed to ABC News that a small nodule was found in the former president’s prostate after "a routine physical exam.”

The discovery of the nodule "necessitated further evaluation," the spokesperson said.

In February 2023, while serving as president, Biden had a lesion removed from his chest that was cancerous. Before entering office, Biden had several non-melanoma skin cancers removed with Mohs surgery.

"As expected, the biopsy confirmed that the small lesion was basal cell carcinoma," White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor said at the time. "All cancerous tissue was successfully removed. … No further treatment is required."

Biden’s health had been under scrutiny since before he dropped out of the presidential race in 2024, giving way to then-Vice President Kamala Harris to top the Democratic presidential ticket.

In an appearance on ABC's "The View" earlier this month, both Biden and former first lady Dr. Jill Biden generally pushed back against the slate of new books from reporters claiming that Biden was dealing with cognitive decline at the end of his presidency.

"They are wrong. There's nothing to sustain that," Biden said.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death among men in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

An estimated 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year, representing 15.4% of all new cancer cases, with an estimated 35,770 deaths from prostate cancer this year, representing 5.8% of all cancer deaths, according to the NIH. The five-year relative survival rate from prostate cancer, meaning the percentage of people alive five years after diagnosis, is roughly 98%, the NIH says.

Prostate cancer in general usually grows very slowly. While finding and treating it before symptoms occur may not improve men's health or help them live longer it is generally a more treatable type of cancer, even when it has spread.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

US military officially reacts to Iranian missile attack

Image
  US military officially reacts to Iranian missile attack In the first official U.S. military confirmation of the Iranian attack targeting Al-Udeid Airbase in Qatar, U.S. Central Command said the missile barrage was "defeated by U.S. and Qatari Patriot batteries." CENTCOM also confirmed that there were no casualties to American or Qatari personnel. "We will continue to aggressively defend our service members and partners in the region. Our adversaries should have no doubt about our resolve or our capabilities," CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said in a statement. Traces are seen in the sky after Iran's armed forces say they targeted The Al-Udeid base in a missile attack, as seen from Doha, Qatar, June 23, 2025.
Read more

Ohio deputy fatally struck by man whose son had been shot by police: Authorities The man's 18-year-old son was fatally shot by police the day before. ByVictoria Arancio and Jack Moore May 4, 2025, 7:31 AM 2:10 Deputy killed in car attack in Ohio: AuthoritiesPolice are calling it a "calculated" attack. The suspect is the father of a teenager who was shot and killed by an offi...Show more Authorities in Ohio said a man "purposely" struck and killed a sheriff's deputy the day after his teen son was fatally shot by police. Rodney Hinton Jr. has been charged with aggravated murder in the death of the sheriff's deputy, who was struck Friday while directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati, according to authorities. Cincinnati police said Hinton is the father of 18-year-old Ryan Hinton, who was shot and killed by an officer the day before. Rodney Hinton Jr., seen here in court, has been charged with aggravated murder in the death of a sheriff's deputy. WCPO At a court appearance on Saturday, Hamilton County sheriff's deputies packed the courtroom in support of the fallen deputy, according to ABC Cincinnati affiliate WCPO. Prosecuting attorney Ryan Nelson said that Hinton Jr.'s movements in his car on Friday were "calculated and premeditated." He added, "He lined up his car, deliberately accelerated his car and purposely caused the death of an on-duty deputy sheriff." The attorney representing Hinton Jr. said that he faces a "very serious, very terrible charge" but noted that he has no felonies in his record. "I understand that this is an emotionally charged situation," the attorney said, mentioning the death of Hinton Jr.'s son. He added, "I understand that there is a lot of sadness and a lot of anger in this room right now and in the community at large." The judge ordered Hinton Jr. held without bond in the Clermont County jail until his next hearing on May 6. In a statement Saturday, attorneys representing the Hinton family said they were hired to investigate the death of Ryan Hinton and that Rodney Hinton, along with other family members, met with Cincinnati police on Friday to view body camera footage of his shooting death. The deputy was struck Friday while directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati, according to authorities. WCPO "Ryan Hinton's family, including Ryan's father, was present at the meeting and they were understandably distraught as they watched the bodycam video," the statement said. "After the meeting with the police department, Ryan Hinton's father left in his own vehicle and that was the last we heard from him until learning about the tragic incident involving a law enforcement officer who was working a traffic detail near the University of Cincinnati." The attorneys are Michael Wright, Shean Williams and Robert Gresham of The Cochran Firm, as well as Anthony Pierson of Pierson and Pierson, LLC, according to WCPO. The statement went on to say: "This is an unimaginable tragedy for this community. Ryan Hinton's family is heartbroken by this tragic turn of events and we are all devastated for the family of the officer who was killed." The deputy has not yet been publicly identified under an Ohio law that protects the privacy of victims and their families. However, police said the deputy had recently retired and was serving in a special capacity with the department

Image
Ohio deputy fatally struck by man whose son had been shot by police: Authorities The man's 18-year-old son was fatally shot by police the day  before Show more Authorities in Ohio said a man "purposely" struck and killed a sheriff's deputy the day after his teen son was fatally shot by police. Rodney Hinton Jr. has been charged with aggravated murder in the death of the sheriff's deputy, who was struck Friday while directing traffic near the University of Cincinnati, according to authorities. Cincinnati police said Hinton is the father of 18-year-old Ryan Hinton, who was  shot and killed by an officer  the day before. Rodney Hinton Jr., seen here in court, has been charged with aggravated murder in the death of a sheriff's deputy. WCPO At a court appearance on Saturday, Hamilton County sheriff's deputies packed the courtroom in support of the fallen deputy,  according to ABC Cincinnati affiliate WCPO . Prosecuting attorney Ryan Nelson said that Hinton Jr....
Read more

Israel-Iran updates: Israel and Iran agree to ceasefire, Trump says

Image
  Israel-Iran updates: Israel and Iran agree to ceasefire, Trump says The agreement has two 12-hour ceasefire periods before the war is over, he said. Iran carried out a missile attack on the United States’ Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday, according to a U.S. official, two days after  the U.S. struck three nuclear sites in Iran. There are no reports of casualties at the base, according to a U.S. official. Iran's attack was in response to the U.S. on Saturday sending B-2 bombers to drop 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs -- known as "bunker busters" -- over Iran. President Donald Trump on Sunday said that "Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran," though Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said a full battle damage assessment is still pending. Also on Monday, Trump announced that Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire, after more than a week of aerial attacks following Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear program. ...
Read more