Joe Biden is receiving radiation therapy after revealing a prostate cancer diagnosis earlier this year, a spokesman has confirmed.
The former US President is currently undergoing the treatment as part of a comprehensive care plan for the disease, which has spread to his bones.
As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment, the spokesman stated.
The radiation therapy is scheduled to continue for five weeks, whilst he has already begun taking hormone medication in pill form, according to sources who spoke to NBC News.
Mr Biden, who turns 83 next month, confirmed earlier this year he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, meaning the disease has spread beyond the prostate gland to other parts of his body.
He underwent a procedure known as Mohs surgery to remove cancerous cells from his skin in September, adding to his ongoing health challenges.
His medical team described the illness as aggressive but hormone-sensitive, meaning it was likely to respond positively to treatment approaches targeting testosterone levels.
A statement released in May provided details about the diagnosis and its severity.
Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms, the statement read.
On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of nine, Grade Group five, with metastasis to the bone.
Whilst this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management, the medical team explained.
In a post to X on 19th May, Mr Biden acknowledged the emotional toll of cancer whilst expressing gratitude for support from the public.
Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places, he wrote.
Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.
According to Cancer Research UK, a Gleason score of nine indicates the cancerous cells look very abnormal and the disease is likely to grow quickly, representing one of the more serious classifications.
Radiotherapy represents one of several treatment methods that can be deployed to attempt to cure cancer, prevent recurrence or manage symptoms.
The treatment involves directing high energy radiation at cancer cells, destroying them by damaging their DNA structure.
When applied to prostate cancer cases, hormone therapy works by blocking or reducing testosterone levels in the body, which can help lower the risk of the disease returning or progressing.
Mr Biden, who served as president from 2021 to 2025, abruptly withdrew from the reelection race last July, just weeks after a stumbling debate performance against Donald Trump triggered alarm among Democratic Party officials.
Vice President Kamala Harris assumed the role of Democratic nominee but lost in November to Mr Trump in the general election.
At the time of his election in 2020, Mr Biden became the oldest person ever to win the presidency at age 78.
Mr Trump, now aged 79, subsequently broke that record when he defeated Ms Harris last year, becoming the oldest president-elect in American history.
In February 2023, Mr Biden had a skin lesion removed from his chest that proved to be a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer that typically has a good prognosis when caught early.
The diagnosis adds to mounting health concerns surrounding the former president, whose age and fitness became central issues during his ultimately unsuccessful 2024 reelection campaign.
Questions about Mr Biden’s mental acuity and physical stamina dominated much of the political discourse throughout 2024, particularly following his poor debate performance against Mr Trump.
Party insiders and donors expressed growing alarm about his ability to effectively campaign against Mr Trump, ultimately leading to his historic decision to withdraw from the race despite having secured the Democratic nomination.
The prostate cancer diagnosis, with its aggressive characteristics and bone metastasis, represents a serious medical challenge for the 82-year-old former president.
However, the hormone-sensitive nature of his particular cancer offers hope that treatment can effectively manage the disease and potentially extend survival.
Prostate cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting men, though survival rates have improved significantly in recent decades thanks to better screening, earlier detection and more effective treatment options.
The combination of radiation therapy and hormone treatment Mr Biden is receiving represents a standard approach for managing advanced prostate cancer, particularly when the disease has spread to bones.
Radiation can target specific areas of bone involvement whilst hormone therapy works systemically throughout the body to slow cancer growth.
Side effects from these treatments can include fatigue, urinary problems, bowel issues and sexual dysfunction, though modern techniques have reduced the severity of many complications.
Mr Biden’s medical team will closely monitor his response to treatment through regular scans and blood tests measuring prostate-specific antigen levels.
The former president has not announced any plans to reduce his public activities during treatment, though the five-week radiation course may limit his schedule.
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