Former US President Joe Biden is undergoing radiation therapy as part of his ongoing treatment for prostate cancer, according to his spokesman. The 82-year-old is also receiving hormone therapy, though no further medical details have been disclosed. Sources close to the matter told NBC News that Biden’s radiation treatment is expected to last for five weeks, marking a new stage in his medical care. The former president’s office previously confirmed in May that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer which had metastasized to his bones. The discovery came after Biden reported urinary symptoms, prompting doctors to investigate further and detect a small nodule on his prostate. Medical reports indicated that Biden’s cancer was hormone-sensitive, meaning it could respond effectively to hormone-based treatments.At the time, Biden’s office released a statement confirming that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) — one of the highest grades indicating a fast-spreading and aggressive disease. According to Cancer Research UK, a Gleason score of nine signifies high-grade cancer, suggesting that the cells are likely to grow and spread rapidly.
Joe Biden receiving radiation therapy for prostate cancer
Biden, who left office in January as the oldest serving president in US history, had faced persistent questions about his health throughout his presidency. These concerns intensified during his reelection campaign, ultimately leading him to withdraw from the 2024 race. His decision paved the way for former Vice President Kamala Harris to represent the Democratic Party, though she later lost the election to President Donald Trump. Cancer research has long been a personal and political priority for Biden. In 2022, he and First Lady Jill Biden relaunched the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, a program originally inspired by the death of their son, Beau Biden, who succumbed to brain cancer in 2015. The initiative’s ambitious goal is to accelerate research and reduce cancer deaths by at least four million by the year 2047.
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Since stepping down from office, Biden has kept a relatively low profile, appearing only occasionally in public. In May, he gave an interview to the BBC—his first since leaving the White House—where he described his decision to withdraw from the presidential race as “difficult” but necessary given his health situation. Prostate cancer remains one of the most common forms of cancer among men, second only to skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that approximately 13 out of every 100 men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives, with age being the most significant risk factor. Biden’s treatment and public transparency have once again drawn attention to the importance of early detection and ongoing cancer research—causes he has championed for decades. Joe Biden
