Joe Biden suffers from "aggressive" prostate cancer
The former president's tumor has reportedly spread to his bones.
WashingtonFormer US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, according to a statement released by his personal office. The health of the 82-year-old former president was a major concern among voters and the Democratic Party itself during the last election campaign, until he withdrew from the race to make way for Kamala Harris.
Last week, a doctor visited President Joe Biden because a prostate nodule was found after he suffered increasing urinary symptoms, which required "further evaluation." On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 with metastasis to his bones, the statement said. "While it represents an aggressive form of the disease," the cancer appears to respond to hormones, "allowing for more effective treatment." Biden and his family "are reviewing treatment options with his physicians," the statement said.
The Gleason score is a scale of 1 to 10 used in prostate cancers to measure how many cancer cells there are compared to healthy cells. With a score of 9, according to the former president's office, it is one of the most aggressive forms. When prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it usually does so to the bones. When there are metastases, treatment is much more difficult than for localized cancer.
The diagnosis comes shortly before the one-year anniversary of Biden's withdrawal from the Democratic nomination. The former president folded on July 21 following the crisis caused by the disastrous CNN debate against Donald Trump. During the campaign, Biden's health and his ability to continue leading the country were under intense public scrutiny due to the numerous lapses and falls he experienced during the end of his presidency.
President Trump has already reacted to the news in a post on Truth Social this Sunday night. "Melania and I are saddened by Joe Biden's recent medical diagnosis. We send our best wishes and a big hug to Jill and the entire family, and wish Joe a speedy and successful recovery," the tycoon wrote, despite the attacks he launched against Biden for his age.
Last summer, alarm bells went off after it became public that a Parkinson's specialist had visited the Democrat in early 2024. Shortly after, the White House came out to deny that the Democrat suffered from this disease. In 2023, Biden had already had a basal cell carcinoma, a common type of skin cancer, removed, and in November 2021, he had a colon polyp removed that turned out to be benign but had the potential to develop into cancer.
The news about the former president's cancer also coincides with the publication, on May 20, of'Original Sin', a book that reveals how the environment The Democrat created a wall around himself to hide his cognitive decline while Biden was stubbornly trying to cling to the presidential nomination. The book, written by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, features witnesses from the Democrat's campaign who acknowledge that his inner circle was aware of Biden's worsening condition. One excerpt explains that during a campaign fundraiser, the former president was unable to recognize his friend and actor George Clooney. Shortly after, Clooney published an article in New York Times referencing the episode and calling on Biden to step aside for the good of the party and the country.