Former President Joe Biden has provided a new update on his battle with advanced prostate cancer, saying radiation treatment he underwent last fall “worked as intended” while emphasizing that he remains active and continues working on his memoir. Biden, 83, shared the update Tuesday as part of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, making the annual awareness campaign more personal after his diagnosis in 2025. In his statement, Biden thanked the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who have been involved in his care and said their work has helped control his cancer. “The radiation treatment from last fall worked as intended, and I continue to do the things I care about, like finishing my memoir,” Biden wrote. His statement did not say that the cancer had been cured. Instead, he described the treatment as helping control the disease while medical professionals continue to oversee his care. Biden’s latest comments offer a more detailed public look at his health since his office announced last year that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.
Biden’s diagnosis was announced in May 2025, several months after he left the White House. His office said at the time that testing had identified prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones and had a Gleason score of 9, a measure associated with a more aggressive form of the disease. His doctors also said the cancer was hormone-sensitive, meaning it could respond to hormone-based treatment. Biden subsequently received hormone therapy and radiation treatment. Medical experts have emphasized that metastatic prostate cancer is generally managed as a long-term illness rather than described as cured once it has spread to other parts of the body. Recent reporting on Biden’s condition similarly noted that treatment can control the disease while requiring continued medical care. Biden’s latest statement therefore appears to describe a positive treatment response without suggesting that the underlying diagnosis has disappeared. His son, Hunter Biden, offered a more difficult description of the illness during a BBC interview in August, saying the cancer had spread beyond the prostate and describing his father’s condition as painful and debilitating.
Much of Biden’s latest message focused not only on his own experience but also on encouraging men to discuss prostate cancer screening with their doctors. He said that by the time his cancer was discovered, it had already spread to his bones and urged people not to delay conversations about their health. Biden pointed to the significantly better outcomes associated with prostate cancer when it is detected before it spreads. He also highlighted groups that can face elevated risks, including Black men and people with a family history of prostate cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends that men discuss the potential benefits and risks of prostate cancer screening with a health care professional, with the appropriate timing depending on individual risk factors. Biden’s message comes as September is observed as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, giving additional attention to screening, early detection and conversations between patients and physicians. By sharing his own experience, the former president said he hoped the discussion could encourage others to seek medical advice and potentially identify the disease earlier.
Biden has maintained a lower public profile since leaving the presidency in January 2025, although he has continued to make occasional public appearances and statements. His health became a major subject of public discussion during his presidency and the 2024 campaign, particularly as questions about his age received increasing attention. Biden ultimately ended his reelection campaign in July 2024, and Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee before losing the November election to Donald Trump. After leaving office, Biden began working on a memoir covering his presidency and the events surrounding his decision to withdraw from the race. His latest health statement indicates that the writing project remains an important part of his activities. Recent reports say the memoir, Promise Me, America, is scheduled for publication later this year and will cover his time in the White House as well as major events surrounding his political career.
Biden concluded his update by expressing gratitude to the medical professionals caring for him and to people who have offered support to him and his family. His decision to discuss his condition publicly also places renewed attention on prostate cancer and the importance of individualized medical guidance. While Biden described his radiation treatment as having achieved its intended result, his statement did not provide a detailed medical assessment of his current cancer status or suggest that his metastatic cancer has been eliminated. Instead, he said he continues to receive medical care while remaining engaged in activities that are important to him. His comments come more than a year after his diagnosis and shortly after his family provided additional public observations about his health. For Biden, the latest update represents both a personal account of his ongoing treatment and an appeal for men to take prostate health seriously. He encouraged people to speak openly with their doctors, ask questions about screening and consider their individual risk factors rather than postponing medical conversations.
