Joe Biden gives major health update after ‘debilitating’ prostate cancer spreads
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Joe Biden has said the radiation treatment he received for his prostate cancer "worked as intended", in his first public comment on his own health since his son Hunter revealed the disease had spread to his bones. Writing on X to mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the 83-year-old former US president thanked the medical staff who have cared for him and said he continues to focus on projects such as finishing his memoir. The statement follows weeks of concern after Hunter Biden told the BBC that his father's cancer had "metastasized into his bones and further" and was "very painful" and "very debilitating", adding that he wished Biden "would complain more" about it.
Biden's office first disclosed his diagnosis of an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer in May 2025, shortly after he left the White House, and he began radiation and hormone treatment that October following earlier skin cancer surgery. His wife, Jill Biden, said in June that he would likely live with the cancer for the rest of his life, given it had spread to his bones. Former White House officials have also told the Washington Post that Biden appeared increasingly fatigued in private since his diagnosis, fuelling continued criticism over how his health was handled during his presidency and 2024 re-election bid, from which he withdrew after a poor debate performance. Biden intends to publish his memoir, Promise Me, America, after November's midterm elections.
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In short
- Biden says prostate cancer radiation treatment "worked as intended"
- First health comment since Hunter revealed cancer had spread to bones
- Jill Biden says he will likely live with cancer for life
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Joe Biden has said the radiation treatment he received for his prostate cancer "worked as intended", marking his first public comment on his own health since his son Hunter revealed the disease had spread to his bones.
- 2 months ago Joe Biden has said the radiation treatment he received for his prostate cancer "worked as intended," in his first public comment on his own health since his son Hunter revealed the disease had spread to his bones.
- 2 months ago Joe Biden has said the radiation treatment he received for his prostate cancer "worked as intended", in his first public comment on his own health since his son Hunter revealed the disease had spread to his bones.
- 2 months ago Joe Biden has said the radiation treatment he received for his prostate cancer "worked as intended," in his first public comment on his health since his son Hunter revealed the disease had spread to his bones.
Full account
Former US President Joe Biden has given the first public update on his own health since it emerged that his prostate cancer had spread further into his bones, saying that radiation treatment he underwent last autumn had 'worked as intended'. In a lengthy message posted on X on Tuesday to mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the 83-year-old thanked the doctors, nurses and other medical staff who have treated him, describing their 'skill, dedication and compassion' as deeply meaningful to him, and said he was continuing to focus on projects he cares about, including completing his memoir.
The update follows Mr Biden's disclosure in May 2025, only months after leaving office, that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already metastasised to the bone, with doctors recording a Gleason score of nine, indicating a high-grade tumour, though one that remained sensitive to hormone therapy and so considered manageable. He underwent surgery to remove a skin cancer in September of that year before beginning a course of radiation and hormone treatment for the prostate cancer the following month, a course he has now confirmed was completed successfully.
Tuesday's statement was Mr Biden's first personal comment on his condition since his son, Hunter Biden, told the BBC last month that the disease had spread 'into his bones and further', calling it 'very painful' and 'very debilitating' for his father, and adding that he wished his father 'would complain more' about it. Jill Biden, the former first lady, had separately told NBC in June that her husband would live with the illness for the rest of his life, noting that its spread to the bone made his case far more serious than a prostate cancer that could simply be cured.
The two accounts placed different emphasis on the story. Coverage highlighting the family's remarks framed the update against a backdrop of long-running scrutiny of Mr Biden's health and mental sharpness, recalling reports of aides noticing fatigue, criticism that his team had understated his condition while he was in office, and his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race after a widely criticised debate performance. Other reporting focused less on that political context and more on the public-health message contained in Mr Biden's post, in which he urged men — particularly those over 50, or from age 45 for Black men and those with a family history of the disease — to discuss screening with their doctors, framing his own experience as a chance to encourage earlier detection and potentially save lives.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
One outlet (Daily Mail-style report) emphasised the political and family dimension — Hunter Biden's BBC comments, Jill Biden's remarks on living with cancer for life, and renewed scrutiny over concealment of Biden's health and his 2024 withdrawal from the presidential race.
The other outlet (Fox News) focused more heavily on the public-health advocacy angle, giving greater detail on Biden's screening-age recommendations and quoting his call for men to 'ask the hard questions', with comparatively little on the political controversy.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Many will feel Joe Biden deserves privacy and compassion as he manages a serious illness, arguing that a former president sharing a personal health update is a human moment rather than a political one, and that scrutinising an ill 83-year-old man's stamina or symptoms crosses into indecency. On this view, respecting his agency to disclose only what he chooses, while he focuses on treatment and his memoir, reflects basic decency owed to any patient regardless of political history.
The case against
Others will argue that Biden's health record carries legitimate public interest precisely because he sought and held the presidency, and that earlier assurances about his fitness, followed by revelations of aggressive cancer, bone spread and fatigue during his term, justify continued scrutiny of what was known and disclosed at the time. On this view, accountability for past transparency is a matter of democratic principle rather than personal intrusion, separate from any wish for his recovery.
Explained simply
Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer in May 2025, shortly after leaving the White House, and started radiation and hormone treatment that October. His wife, Jill Biden, said in June that the cancer had spread to his bones, meaning he is likely to live with it for the rest of his life. He is 83 and had already had earlier surgery for skin cancer.
The story matters because it touches on long-standing questions about Biden's health and stamina, which came under heavy scrutiny after his difficult performance in the 2024 presidential debate. His son, Hunter Biden, recently spoke to the BBC about how painful and debilitating the illness has been, adding to public interest in how the former president is coping.
Biden is also working on a memoir, "Promise Me, America," which he plans to publish after November's US midterm elections.
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