Biden, 82, was taken in for examination after experiencing “increasing urinary symptoms”.
Former United States President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer which has spread to his bones, a statement released on Sunday said. He was diagnosed on Friday after the doctor discovered a prostate nodule.
Biden, 82, was taken in for examination after experiencing “increasing urinary symptoms”. The cancer is reported to be a more aggressive form of the disease, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 out of 10. Thus, the illness has been classified as “high-grade”, and cancer cells could spread quickly, according to Cancer Research UK.
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According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer is close to 100 percent for early-stage tumours; the average survival rate for advanced forms of the disease is 28 percent.
Biden and his family are reviewing treatment options. “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.
Biden’s age and health had been a key concern when he had contested for his second term in office.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social that he and First Lady Melania Trump were “saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis.” “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family,” he said, referring to former First Lady Jill Biden. “We wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” he added.
Biden’s vice president Kamala Harris, on her social media, said that she and her family were keeping the Bidens in “our hearts and 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,” Harris added.
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The news has come nearly a year after the former president was forced to drop out of the 2024 US Presidential election. Biden had been the oldest person to have held the office in US history.
Metastasised cancer is more difficult to treat than localised cancer because it involves targeting tumours in different parts of the body. Biden had earlier lost his son, Beau Biden, in 2015 to brain cancer.
