Former first lady Dr. Jill Biden has opened up about the concerning symptoms former President Joe Biden experienced in the lead-up to his prostate cancer diagnosis.

On May 18, 2025, Biden's office announced that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer during a routine physical examination, with bone metastasis, and began treatment the same month. In October 2025, he was confirmed to be undergoing radiation and hormone therapies.

The former president's spokesperson confirmed on September 4, 2025, that he'd also undergone Mohs surgery to remove skin cancer lesions from his forehead, after previously having a basal-cell carcinoma removed from his chest in 2023.

During an appearance on Sirius XM's Let's Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa, Jill Biden revealed the warning signs of prostate cancer that her husband had experienced before the diagnosis.

Joe Biden was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer last year. Credit: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

She revealed that he'd been getting up "seven times a night", which she spoke to the White House physicians about at the time, but heard nothing more of it so "thought it was addressed."

She told Ripa: "But when it continued when we got out of the White House [in January 2025], I said, 'Joe, we’ve got to go up to Jeff in Philly — something’s wrong.'"

Joe, who is now 83, will "forever live with cancer", she confirmed, as it had already metastasized to his bones before it was found.

Jill explained: "We have to be mindful of it every three months, testing and medicine. And anybody who’s gone through this cancer journey - and I’ve been through it many times with members of my family, of course with Beau - it’s constant. It’s daily. And I think it’s challenging."

Beau Biden, Joe’s oldest son with his first wife, died of glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, at the age of 46 in 2015.

Jill admitted in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning in May that it was "shocking" to discover that Joe had cancer after he'd undergone many exhaustive medical evaluations by White House doctors.

She added: "I do feel we had amazing care in the White House, but somehow that was missed."

Jill Biden admitted the diagnosis came as a shock. Credit: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

She revealed that her husband's doctor told her that in accordance with the American Urological Association’s recommendations, men over 70 do not require routine blood tests to screen for prostate cancer because the disease is slow-growing.

She admitted: "I never, oh my God, I never thought it would be prostate cancer."

Despite the fact that he will never be fully cancer-free, Jill revealed that Joe is "doing okay" living with the condition after having had several treatments.

Featured image credit: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

A doctor who worked with Joe Biden has claimed that the former President had cancer while in office.

The White House confirmed over the weekend that Biden had been diagnosed with prostate cancer following urinary issues that led to the discovery of a “small nodule.”

A statement from his office revealed the diagnosis came with a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5), with metastasis to the bone — a sign of advanced, aggressive cancer.

“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 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

According to the Mayo Clinic: “The Gleason score and grade group are numbers that tell your healthcare team whether your prostate cancer is growing slowly or quickly. How quickly a cancer grows also is called a cancer's grade.”

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a top cancer specialist and former member of Biden’s transition team, stunned MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Monday when he claimed: “He’s had this for many years, maybe even a decade, growing there and spreading. He did not develop it in the last 100 to 200 days.

“He had it while he was president. He probably had it at the start of his presidency in 2021. Yes, I don’t think there’s any disagreement about that,” Emanuel said.

Emanuel noted that while some medical guidelines suggest PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests aren’t necessary after age 70, Biden would have had opportunities to screen earlier.

“He was vice president and had a lot of exams under 70. So it’s a little surprising that they didn’t do it,” he said. “And maybe President Biden decided he didn’t want the test. Many men do decide they don’t want a PSA, but this is also aggressive.”

He added: “When we talk about the aggressive part, what we mean is that Gleason score, that score is from two up to 10. And he’s a nine. And that means that the cancer doesn’t look normal, it looks very abnormal, which is probably why it’s in the bone.”

Emanuel pointed out that previous presidents had PSA tests while in office. “I don’t know what President Biden and his doctor discussed, but I think you are hinting at the other element, which is that President Obama had this test, President Bush had this test,” he said.

“It is a little surprising that the doctor didn’t take it. And if he took it and didn’t report it and it was elevated, that is another case of doctors not being straightforward with us.

“We’ve had several of them with President Trump, especially around his Covid diagnosis. And if that is true, that would be very troubling,” he added.

When asked exactly how long Biden might have had cancer, Emanuel said: “We don’t know, obviously. And it is a little surprising to many of us oncologists that he wasn’t diagnosed earlier.”

Featured image credit: Pool / Getty 

Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a statement released by his personal office.

The cancer is described as "aggressive" and has metastasized to his bones.

The statement outlines the timeline and seriousness of the diagnosis: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”

Per CNN, doctors identified the cancer after Biden reported escalating urinary issues.

The discovery of a prostate nodule led to further testing, which confirmed a high-grade, advanced form of the disease.

The Gleason score of 9 places it in Grade Group 5, indicating one of the most severe classifications in prostate cancer diagnosis, and the presence of bone metastases further elevates the concern, Sky News reports.

Despite the grim nature of the diagnosis, Biden’s medical team remains cautiously optimistic about treatment options. “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” the statement said.

Biden and his family are currently in discussions with his medical team about potential treatment paths. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians," the statement added.

Per the Mayo Clinic, "The Gleason score and grade group are numbers that tell your healthcare team whether your prostate cancer is growing slowly or quickly. How quickly a cancer grows also is called a cancer's grade."

Biden's Gleason score of 9 places it in the "Grade group 5" - and suggests the cancer is likely to grow quickly.

The former POTUS has largely stayed out of the spotlight since leaving office, but he's recently begun making more public appearances.

Earlier this month, he and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, were guests on ABC’s The View, where he addressed claims that his mental sharpness had declined during his last year as president.

“They are wrong,” Biden said confidently. “There is nothing to sustain that.”

Former FLOTUS Jill also defended her husband, saying: “The people who wrote those books weren’t in the White House with us, and they didn’t see how hard Joe worked every single day. He’d get up, he’d put in a full day and then at night, I’d be in bed reading my book, and he was still on the phone, reading his briefings, working with staff.”

Biden, who left office in January, has not publicly addressed the cancer diagnosis himself as of yet.

Featured image credit: Pool / Getty

Joe Biden has shared a heartbreaking message after it was announced that he is battling "aggressive" cancer.

The announcement of Biden’s diagnosis came from his personal office on Sunday. “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, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” it continued.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

The Gleason grading system is used to determine how aggressive prostate cancer is. According to the Mayo Clinic: “The Gleason score and grade group are numbers that tell your healthcare team whether your prostate cancer is growing slowly or quickly. How quickly a cancer grows also is called a cancer's grade.”

A score of 9 places Biden’s condition among the most severe, with a high likelihood of rapid progression.

In a recent post to social media, Biden shared a candid photo of himself smiling with his wife, former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who is seen cradling their cat Willow.

The image comes just days after his team confirmed that the 81-year-old has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer.

“Cancer touches us all,” Biden wrote.

He continued: “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”

The diagnosis has sparked an outpouring of support from political figures on both sides of the aisle—including Biden’s former political rival, Donald Trump.

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

Members of Congress also shared personal messages of encouragement.

“I was saddened to hear of President Biden’s cancer diagnosis and am wishing him and his family well as he begins treatment,” said Senator Susan Collins of Maine.

Senator Thom Tillis added: “Praying for his full recovery,” while Utah Senator Mike Lee called the news “sad.”

Even Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene expressed support, writing: “I was sorry to see this news. Cancer is truly awful. My Dad passed away in 2021 with cancer. Prays for Joe Biden and his family.”

Featured image credit: Andrew Harnik / Getty

President Joe Biden prompted widespread confusion and concern when he appeared to say he has cancer during an address on climate change on Wednesday.

Now, White House officials have been forced to clear up the confusion, saying per The Telegraph that although the 79-year-old POTUS used the present tense, he had actually been referring to his previous treatment for skin cancer.

As reported by Bloomberg, "several small areas" of Biden's skin have been treated with liquid nitrogen cryotherapy, but doctors did not believe any were liable to produce skin cancer or that they needed biopsy.

Biden had reportedly had some localized skin cancers removed before he became president.

On Wednesday, he paid a visit to the Brayton Point power plant, an old coal-powered facility in Somerset, Massachusetts, which is making a shift to offshore wind manufacturing.

During his speech, the incumbent president spoke about his plans to take action on climate change.

"As president, I have a responsibility to act with urgency and resolve when our nation faces clear and present danger, and that's what climate change is about. It is literally, not figuratively, a clear and present danger," Biden said. "The health of our citizens and our communities is literally at stake."

However, one particular moment in his address saw the Democrat say that he has cancer. Biden said: “And guess what? The first frost, you know what was happening? You had to put on your windshield wipers to get literally the oil slick off the window.

"That’s why I and so damn many other people I grew up with have cancer and why for the longest time, Delaware had the highest cancer rate in the nation.”

In November 2021, Biden's personal physician confirmed that the POTUS was a "healthy, vigorous, 78 year old" who was fit to carry out his presidential duties, following  a full medical evaluation, which saw him temporarily transfer his power over to Vice President Kamala Harris so that he could undergo a colonoscopy.

The evaluation went on for over five hours and took place at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The president underwent blood, physical, gastrointestinal, dental, vision and neurological examinations.

Featured image credit: Abaca Press / Alamy.