Former President Joe Biden Diagnosed With “Aggressive Form” Of Prostate Cancer – Essence

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his office confirmed Sunday — a personal health battle unfolding just months after he stepped away from public life.

The 82-year-old sought medical attention after experiencing urinary symptoms. Doctors found a nodule on his prostate, and by Friday, they had confirmed the cancer had spread to his bones, the Associated Press reports. 

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” his office said in a statement. 

That hormone sensitivity means the cancer may respond to treatment aimed at depriving the tumors of the hormones they need to grow. Still, the diagnosis is serious.

Biden’s Gleason score — the grading scale used to determine the aggressiveness of prostate cancer — was a 9 out of 10, putting it among the most aggressive forms.

“It’s very treatable, but not curable,” said Dr. Matthew Smith of Massachusetts General Brigham Cancer Center. “Most men in this situation would be treated with drugs and would not be advised to have either surgery or radiation therapy.”

Prostate cancer that has spread to the bones is much harder to treat than when it’s confined to the prostate, largely because medications often can’t reach every tumor.

The fight against cancer has long been personal for Biden. In 2015, he lost his son Beau to brain cancer — a tragedy that shaped much of his public advocacy in the years that followed. As vice president, he helped launch the original “Cancer Moonshot,” and during his presidency, he expanded the initiative with an ambitious goal: to cut the cancer death rate in half over 25 years.

Support for Biden  poured in after the news broke.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after Biden stepped aside last summer, said: “Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership.”

Former President Barack Obama wrote on social media: “Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace.”

President Donald Trump, who defeated Biden in last year’s election and returned to the White House, said he was “saddened by the news” and added, “we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

Even before this diagnosis, questions about Biden’s age and stamina loomed large. His rocky debate performance last June sparked concern among voters, eventually leading him to suspend his campaign. A new book, Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, reports that some aides worked to shield the public from the extent of Biden’s decline while he was still in office. Biden, for his part, pushed back on those critiques.

The former president and his family are currently reviewing treatment options with his physicians.