Biden’s Prostate Cancer Progression and Insights on the Disease

Joe Biden’s Cancer Diagnosis and Progression

Former President Joe Biden, diagnosed with prostate cancer in May 2025, has seen the disease spread. His son, Hunter Biden, revealed this during an interview with BBC Newsnight. Hunter described the cancer as metastasizing into Biden’s bones, causing significant pain and challenges.

Biden first learned of his condition when a routine examination identified a small nodule in his prostate. Although the form of cancer is aggressive, it remains hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management. Treatment plans were discussed with his physicians, and Biden subsequently underwent hormone therapy and radiation treatment. He completed radiation therapy at Penn Medicine Radiation Oncology by October 2025.

Aside from hormone therapy, treatment options for prostate cancer encompass chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiopharmaceutical treatments.

Understanding Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer affects the prostate gland in men and has been rising in incidence. The American Cancer Society (ACS) reported a 3% annual increase in cases from 2014 to 2021. Advanced-stage prostate cancer cases have risen by 5% annually during the same period.

For 2026, approximately 333,830 new cases are expected in the U.S., with about 36,320 anticipated deaths. One in eight men will receive a prostate cancer diagnosis in their lifetime, and older men bear a higher risk. Diagnosis commonly occurs in men aged 65 and older, with the average age being 67. Prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer in men after skin cancer.

Symptoms and Screening

Prostate cancer is often detected early through screening before symptoms arise. Initial symptoms might include urination difficulties, weak urine flow, increased urination frequency, and blood in urine or bodily fluids. If the disease spreads, symptoms could intensify to include pain in the hips, back, chest, erectile dysfunction, weight loss, fatigue, and loss of bladder or bowel control.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advises men aged 55 to 69 to consider periodic PSA-based screening. Men should discuss screening’s benefits and drawbacks with their clinicians before deciding. While potential benefits include lowered mortality risk, there are also risks such as false-positive results and overdiagnosis.

Research is ongoing for alternative screening methods, including a non-invasive urine test.

Survival Statistics

For prostate cancer confined to the prostate, the five-year survival rate stands at 99% or higher. When it spreads to nearby structures or lymph nodes, this rate remains similarly high. However, if the cancer reaches distant parts of the body, the five-year survival rate drops to 37%.

Survival rates depend on various factors, including the patient’s age, overall health, cancer progression, and response to treatment.