Joe Biden’s Diagnosis: Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer, as announced by his office on 19 May 2025. According to the announcement, Biden’s cancer has metastasized to his bones.

Prostate cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in men worldwide. Out of all the cancers, it has the best outlook at five years after diagnosis, with overall survival standing at 97%. However, once cancer spreads beyond the prostate, the survival rate for prostate cancer drops to 37%, up to five years after diagnosis.

Biden was diagnosed with a Gleason score of 9, suggesting that he has the most aggressive grade of prostate cancer – at Grade 5. In a study of over 20,000 men across the US and Sweden, those with Grade 5 prostate cancer had a 26% chance of staying cancer-free after a radical prostatectomy.

Learn more: Gleason Score for Prostate Cancer

Although Biden’s prostate cancer is aggressive, it appears to be hormone-sensitive – meaning that hormone therapy can still be used. Hormone therapy, also known as androgen deprivation therapy, aims to deprive tumors of hormones, in order to slow down prostate cancer growth.

Learn more: Hormone Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer

Just over a week before, Biden underwent medical evaluation after experiencing worsening urinary symptoms. A “small nodule” was found on his prostate.

For a man of Biden’s age, prostate issues are highly likely. Over 50% of men older than 60 will eventually face an enlarged prostate, while this estimate rises to 80% for those 90 and above. While urinary issues are typically seen in prostate cancer, they also overlap with less-serious conditions, including: an enlarged prostate, urinary tract infections or kidney stones.

Learn more: All You Need to Know – Prostate Cancer Symptoms

The easiest way to detect if you have prostate cancer is through the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, a simple blood test that measures your PSA levels.

Back in 2022, Biden reinstated the Cancer Moonshot initiative, seeking to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years. The program was initially announced in 2016, after the passing of Biden’s son, Beau Biden, due to brain cancer in 2015.

Beyond accelerating cancer research and drug development, the Cancer Moonshot initiative also built a national cancer data ecosystem in the US — the NCI Cancer Research Data Commons, as well as the Human Tumor Atlas Network, which maps 3D atlases to track how tumors evolve across space and time.

As of 19 May 2025, Biden and his family are working with his medical team to evaluate his treatment options going forward.