WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer, his office said in a statement on Sunday.
“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” the statement said. “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized 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 statement continues. “The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
The former president had a polyp removed from his colon in 2021 that doctors said was a benign but potentially pre-cancerous lesion that did not require further action, his doctor, Kevin O’Connor, said at the time. He also had a similar polyp removed from his colon in 2008.
“Routine surveillance is recommended for this finding,” O’Connor said in 2021 in a letter to former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. “Typically, repeat colonoscopy in 7 to 10 years is recommended.”
The median survival rate for prostate cancer that metastasized to the bone is 21 months, according to Duke University.
Sunday’s announcement is the latest in a string of disastrous post-presidency revelations for the former president. A forthcoming book from CNN host Jake Tapper and Axios journalist Alex Thompson reveals that Biden’s inner circle worked to conceal his physical and cognitive decline at the end of his presidency. Last week, Axios released the audio of Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur, confirming that Biden was unable to remember such basic details as when his son, Beau, died, or when he left the vice presidency.
