Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive form’ of prostate cancer, his office says

Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which has spread to the bone, and the former president and his family are reviewing treatment options, his office said in a statement on Sunday.

Biden, 82, beat an incumbent Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election and initially sought a rematch with him last year. But, amid questions about his age and mental acuity, he dropped out of the race and endorsed his vice-president, Kamala Harris, to succeed him.

Trump, who is just three years younger than Biden, subsequently defeated Harris in November’s election and returned to the White House in January.

Biden has dealt with cancer before. Prior to starting his presidency, he had several non-melanoma skin cancers surgically removed, and he had a cancerous lesion removed from his chest in February 2023.

In the US, prostate cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among men, according to the American Cancer Society.

Sunday’s statement from Biden’s office said the former president’s diagnosis represented “a more aggressive form” of cancer, though it “appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management”.

More details soon …

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed reporting.