According to a release from his office on Sunday, Former President Joe Biden has prostate cancer. Biden’s recent prostate evaluation, in which the 82-year-old president sought medical attention for troubling urinary symptoms, resulted in the identification of a prostate nodule. The outlook couldn’t be more grim. So, for argument’s sake, we are going to assume that Biden’s cancer spread to the bone, and with a Gleason score of 9, he is in fact in one of the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
Biden’s office offered further details on the type of cancer. They were pleased to hear that though the cancer is aggressive, it seems to be hormone-sensitive. This unique property makes it possible for targeted catastrophic treatments—the kind that strip tumors of hormones—to succeed in controlling the disease.
In February 2023, Biden was treated for basal cell carcinoma, a very common and often harmless form of skin cancer. The doctors removed a large lesion from his chest during the procedure. He had a benign polyp removed from his colon in November 2021 that turned the definitive pathologic dice to being potentially pre-cancerous. These medical issues have kept Biden’s health in the public eye, especially given the emphasis on health during his presidency.
Biden’s health has been a major issue with voters— especially as he moved through the political desert towards a possible reelection. His debate performance in June was roundly panned. This raised questions about whether he would be able to remain in the presidential race. After such a rocky few months, he decided to call it quits on his quest for a second term.
In 2022, President Biden made the cancer moonshot a central focus of his administration. He recently launched the “cancer moonshot” initiative, which intends to reduce the cancer death rate by 50 percent in the next quarter century. This new initiative expands upon his work as vice president. Perhaps no one is more passionate about fighting that disease than President Joe Biden, who was personally affected when the disease claimed the life of his eldest son, Beau Biden.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” – Biden’s office
Biden now enters a new firestorm that will ensure his health stays front and center. This scrutiny impacts beyond his personal life, the way the public views him, and the way the political fortunes might turn in coming days.