Joe Biden Diagnosed With Aggressive Cancer

WILMINGTON, DE — Former president Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his office said Sunday.

The diagnosis came Friday after a prostate nodule was found following "increasing urinary symptoms," according to the statement from his office, published in full by CSPAN, which said the cancer had "metastasis to the bone."

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

The 82-year-old former president is spending the weekend at home in Wilmington, Delaware, according to CNN, citing a source familiar with the information.

Prostate cancers are given a score called a Gleason score that measures, on a scale of 1 to 10, how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. Biden's score of 9 suggests his cancer is among the most aggressive.

Biden addressed his diagnosis Monday in a social media post.

"Cancer touches us all," he wrote. "Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support."

President Donald Trump offered Biden well wishes Sunday in a post on Truth Social.

"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."

Kamala Harris, Biden's vice president, who ran at the top of the presidential ticket in 2024 after Biden left the race, also shared words of support.

"Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis," she said in a statement on social media. "We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time. 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. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery."

Prostate cancer is among the most common types of cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with it in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.

When prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it often goes to the bones. Metastasized cancer is much harder to treat than localized cancer because it can be hard for drugs to reach all the tumors and completely root out the disease. However, when prostate cancers need hormones to grow, as in Biden's case, they can be susceptible to treatment that deprives the tumors of hormones.

Biden's health was a dominant concern among voters during his time as president. After a calamitous debate performance in June while seeking reelection, Biden abandoned his bid for a second term. Harris became the nominee and lost to Trump, who returned to the White House after a four-year hiatus.

But in recent days, Biden rejected concerns about his age despite reporting in the new book "Original Sin" by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson that aides had shielded the public from the extent of his decline while serving as president.

In February 2023, Biden had a skin lesion removed from his chest that was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer. And in November 2021, he had a polyp removed from his colon that was a benign, but potentially pre-cancerous lesion.

In 2022, Biden made a "cancer moonshot" one of his administration's priorities with the goal of halving the cancer death rate over the next 25 years. The initiative was a continuation of his work as vice president to address a disease that had killed his older son, Beau.

"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," former president Barack Obama, for whom Biden served as vice president, said Sunday on social media. "We pray for a fast and full recovery."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.