Former President Biden delivered a “personal” message on his health for Prostate Awareness Month, urging men to see their doctor for early detection.
Biden, 83, announced his diagnosis a year ago, after he left the White House.
“By the time we found it, it had already spread to my bones,” Biden wrote in a lengthy message on social media. “When prostate cancer is caught early, the five-year survival is close to 100%.”
He thanked his medical staff for his treatment, noting it allowed him to finish work on his memoir, “Promise Me, America,” which is scheduled to be published in November after the election.
“Their skill, dedication, and compassion mean so much. 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 completed his treatment for stage four cancer in October. Hunter Biden described his father’s condition as “very debilitating.”
“The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” Hunter said in August. “It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects.”
Jill Biden has berated White House doctors for not catching it. She also admitted she would hear her husband get up frequently in the night to urinate — a common symptom — but did not press him to talk to his doctors. Men Biden’s age usually are not tested for the disease.
She said her husband will have to live with cancer the rest of his life.
“I think if he had just been diagnosed with prostate cancer, that’s one thing because that can be cured, but the fact that it metastasized to his bones, that makes it a whole different story,” she said in June.
“So I think Joe will live with cancer till the rest of his life.”
The former president thanked people for their support and added: “It’s my hope and prayer that by sharing our experience and being part of this important conversation, we can help save lives. Talk to your doctors. Ask the hard questions. Do it for yourself, and do it for the people who love you.”
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide, with an estimated 333,830 new cases projected in the United States for 2026 according to the American Cancer Society.
Biden did not say whether he expects to undergo additional treatment.
Biden is expected to join former presidents Obama, Clinton and Bush at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan on Friday, to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
