Former President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the radiation treatment he received last fall for his Stage 4 prostate cancer “worked as intended,” offering a rare piece of positive news since his diagnosis was announced in May 2025.
Biden, 83, said he continues to stay active and is working on finishing his memoir. “The radiation treatment from last fall worked as intended, and I continue to do the things I care about, like finishing my memoir,” he said.
Biden’s office announced his cancer diagnosis in May 2025 after he experienced increasing urinary symptoms and doctors found a prostate nodule. The cancer had a Gleason score of 9, Grade Group 5, and had already metastasized to his bones. Doctors said the cancer was hormone-sensitive, which gave them treatment options, and Biden underwent hormone therapy and radiation, completing the radiation course last fall.
Recent updates from Biden’s family had painted a difficult picture. In an interview with the BBC last month, Hunter Biden said his father’s cancer “has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” calling it “very painful” and “very debilitating in many respects.” In June, Jill Biden said her husband “keeps his schedule, but he’s slowed down,” citing the combined effects of his age, the Stage 4 cancer and his medications.
Biden did not say Tuesday that he is cancer-free, and metastatic prostate cancer remains a serious, ongoing illness. But his statement that the radiation “worked as intended” marks the first clearly positive update in months.
Biden thanked the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who have treated him, saying their care “mean[s] so much,” and credited them for their “skill, dedication, and compassion.”
A Push for Screening
Biden used the update to encourage other men to get screened for prostate cancer. “Talk to your doctors. Ask the hard questions. Do it for yourself, and do it for the people who love you,” he said, urging men around age 50 to begin discussing screening with their doctors, and those at elevated risk to start sooner.
The American Cancer Society recommends that men at average risk discuss screening at age 50, while Black men and those with a family history of the disease should begin at 45. Men at especially high risk are advised to start the conversation at 40.
Biden pointed to his own experience as a reason the conversation matters. “By the time we found it, it had already spread to my bones,” he said.
When Biden’s diagnosis was first announced in May 2025, President Donald Trump, his longtime political rival, offered his well wishes. “Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” Trump wrote at the time. “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”
Biden closed his statement Tuesday by thanking those who have prayed for him and his family, saying he hopes going public about his illness might help others. “It’s my hope and prayer that by sharing our experience and being part of this important conversation, we can help save lives,” he wrote. “And no matter what, keep the faith. God bless you.”
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