Former US President Joseph R. Biden Jr. was diagnosed Friday with an ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his office said in a statement on Sunday.
According to The New York Times, the diagnosis came after Mr. Biden reported urinary symptoms, which led doctors to find a “small nodule” on his prostate. Mr. Biden’s cancer is “characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” the statement said.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” according to the statement from Mr. Biden’s office, which was unsigned. “The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
Mr Biden, 82, ended his term in January as America’s oldest-serving president in history. Throughout his time in office, he faced ongoing questions about his age and health, which eventually led him to withdraw from seeking re-election.
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Since leaving the White House, Mr Biden has maintained a low profile. He spends most of his time at his home in Delaware, occasionally travelling to Washington to meet with staff about his post-presidential activities. After President Trump completed his first 100 days in office, and with upcoming books about his presidency and the 2024 campaign, Mr Biden gave interviews to counter claims about his mental decline.
“They are wrong,” Mr Biden said during an appearance on “The View” programme. “There’s nothing to sustain that.”
This new health revelation has forced many leading Democrats to reconsider how strongly they supported Mr Biden’s re-election campaign before his poor performance in a debate last June, when he appeared confused and lethargic.
Making matters worse was this weekend’s release of audio from Mr Biden’s 2023 interview with Robert K. Hur, the special counsel who investigated his handling of classified documents. The news organisation Axios published the complete five-hour recording ahead of the Trump administration’s planned release. The audio reveals Mr Biden speaking in a frail voice and struggling to recall dates and specific details.
