Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer a week after nodule was detected

WASHINGTON, DC: Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, his office revealed in a statement on Sunday, May 18.

On May 13, a spokesperson for Biden confirmed to ABC News that a small nodule was found in the 82-year-old's prostate after "a routine physical exam."

Joe Biden reviewing treatment options after prostate cancer diagnosis 

The statement released on Sunday afternoon read, "Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone," as reported by CNN.

"While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians," it added.

The news comes almost a year after Biden was forced to drop out of the 2024 presidential election due to concerns about his health and age, per BBC.

So far, he is the oldest person to have held the office in US history.

The former president faced mounting criticism over his poor performance in a June 2024 debate against the then-Republican presidential nominee and current POTUS, Donald Trump.

In July 2024, he exited the race and endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris to be the Democratic nominee. 

Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer affecting men, after skin cancer, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Moreover, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that 13 out of every 100 men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives.

Biden's physical examination took place in a Philadelphia hospital, one day after his appearance on ABC's 'The View'. It was one of the few appearances the former POTUS made since leaving office, per Mediaite.

Dr William Dahut, the Chief Scientific Officer at the American Cancer Society and a trained prostate cancer physician, informed the BBC that the cancer is more aggressive, based on the information on Biden's diagnosis.

"In general, if cancer has spread to the bones, we don't think it is considered a curable cancer," Dr Dahut said. 

However, he added that most patients respond well to initial treatment and "people can live many years with the diagnosis."

He also told the BBC that someone with Biden's diagnosis will likely be offered hormonal therapies to mitigate symptoms and to slow the growth of cancerous cells. 

Internet prays for Joe Biden's recovery after his cancer diagnosis is revealed

Several netizens took to social media to pray for Joe Biden as it was revealed that the former president has been diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.

One wrote, "Damn this is sad. Prayers for him," while another added, "Hope he will be okay."

A person said, "This is bad news. Get well soon," whereas someone else noted, "I wish him the best, despite disagreeing with him politically."

"I don’t wish cancer on anyone. Not a fan of President Biden but I wish him the best in his fight against cancer," another tweet read. 

One more said, "So sad Joe. I hope he get better soon," and another wrote, "Thinking of him and his family. Thoughts to the Bidens here and anyone else experiencing this awful disease."

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