WASHINGTON--Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his office said in a statement on Sunday.
Biden, 82, was diagnosed on Friday after experiencing urinary symptoms, and he and his family are reviewing treatment options with doctors, according to the statement."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.
Cancers that have spread, or metastasized, are considered Stage 4, the most advanced. Most prostate cancers are detected at an earlier stage.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, of the 236,659 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in 2021, 70% were diagnosed before the cancer had spread beyond the prostate. About 8% of new prostate cancer diagnoses that year involved advanced-stage disease.
Biden's physical health and mental acuity drew scrutiny during his 2021-2025 presidency. He abruptly ended his bid for re-election last July, weeks after a halting performance during a debate against Republican Donald Trump prompted panic among his fellow Democrats.
President Trump, who has repeatedly berated Biden since taking office in January, expressed sympathy on Sunday for Biden and his wife, Jill, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social."Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden's recent medical diagnosis," he wrote, referring to first lady Melania Trump. "We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery."
Biden's office said the cancer scored a nine out of 10 on the Gleason score grading system, which is used to help determine the aggressiveness of prostate cancer.Dr. Herbert Lepor, an urologist at NYU Langone, said a score of nine is "very high risk," but added that many men can live "five to 10 years and beyond" even with metastatic prostate cancer.
"Over the last decade, there have been many advances in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer," he said.
Dr. Chris George, the medical director of the cancer program for the Northwestern Health Network, said prostate cancer is no longer curable once it spreads to the bones but that there are treatments that can control it.
