It's been a wild ride watching the headlines lately. Honestly, if you’ve spent any time on social media over the last year, you’ve probably seen the rumors flying. People asking is joe biden sick has become a regular occurrence in search bars. It’s kinda understandable. We're talking about an 83-year-old man who spent four of the most stressful years imaginable in the Oval Office.
But here’s the thing: the reality isn't a simple "yes" or "no." It’s actually a pretty complex medical picture that involves some serious diagnoses, a lot of specialized terminology, and a fair bit of political finger-pointing.
To get the big question out of the way: yes, Joe Biden is currently dealing with significant health challenges. In May 2025, just a few months after leaving the White House, his office went public with the news that he has Stage IV prostate cancer. This wasn't just a minor scare; the cancer had already metastasized, meaning it spread to his bones.
The Reality Behind the Diagnosis
When the news broke, it caught a lot of people off guard. We'd spent years hearing from White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor that Biden was "fit for duty" and "vigorous." Then, suddenly, he’s facing an aggressive cancer with a Gleason score of 9.
For those of us who aren't urologists, a Gleason score is basically a grading system for how "angry" the cancer cells look under a microscope. It goes from 6 to 10. A 9 is high-risk and means the cancer is likely to grow and spread fast.
📖 Related: Does Ginger Ale Help With Upset Stomach? Why Your Soda Habit Might Be Making Things Worse
Since that initial announcement, Biden has been through the ringer with treatments. By October 2025, he was undergoing a mix of radiation therapy and hormone treatment. His daughter, Ashley Biden, even shared a video of him "ringing the bell" at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia to mark the end of a radiation cycle. It was a rare, personal glimpse into a struggle that usually stays behind closed doors.
Why was it missed?
This is where things get controversial. Critics, including current President Donald Trump, have been pretty vocal, asking how such an aggressive cancer could just "appear" months after he left office. They’re basically suggesting there was a cover-up.
On the flip side, medical experts like Dr. Adam Weiner from Cedars-Sinai have pointed out that for men in their 80s, routine PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screening often stops. Why? Because the side effects of treating slow-growing cancers in older men can sometimes be worse than the disease itself. If Biden hadn't had a PSA test since 2014—which his office claims—the cancer could have been growing silently for years.
More Than Just One Battle
It’s not just the prostate cancer, either. Biden has also been dealing with recurring skin cancer.
👉 See also: Horizon Treadmill 7.0 AT: What Most People Get Wrong
In September 2025, he had Mohs surgery on his forehead to remove lesions that turned out to be basal cell carcinoma. If you’ve ever had a "spot" checked by a dermatologist, you know the drill. It’s the most common type of skin cancer, usually caused by sun exposure. While it’s malignant, it’s slow-growing and generally not life-threatening if you catch it early. But when you’re already fighting Stage IV cancer elsewhere, every additional surgery takes a toll on the body.
A Long List of "Stable" Issues
Before the cancer news, Biden’s health reports were already a bit of a laundry list. We’re talking about:
- Atrial Fibrillation (A-fib): A "persistent" irregular heartbeat that he’s had for years. He takes blood thinners to prevent strokes.
- Sleep Apnea: He uses a CPAP (or PAP) machine at night. You might remember seeing the strap marks on his face during a few press conferences in 2023.
- Peripheral Neuropathy: This causes some numbness in his feet, which is why his "stiff gait" became such a talking point.
- Spinal Arthritis: Moderate to severe changes in his spine that, combined with the neuropathy, changed the way he walks.
What Does "Hormone-Sensitive" Actually Mean?
There is a silver lining in the medical reports. His doctors mentioned the prostate cancer is "hormone-sensitive." Basically, prostate cancer cells often "feed" on testosterone. Hormone therapy, or Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT), works by starving the cancer of that fuel. It doesn't cure the cancer, but it can shrink the tumors and keep them in check for years.
The downside? ADT is tough. It can cause significant loss of muscle mass, bone density issues, and extreme fatigue. For someone in their 80s, maintaining strength while on these drugs is a constant uphill battle.
✨ Don't miss: How to Treat Uneven Skin Tone Without Wasting a Fortune on TikTok Trends
The Human Side of the Statistics
It’s easy to get lost in the Gleason scores and the political spin. But when you look at the data for Stage IV metastatic prostate cancer, the 5-year survival rate is generally around 30%.
That sounds grim, but medical technology in 2026 isn't what it was ten years ago. New drugs like PARP inhibitors and advanced radiopharmaceuticals are changing the game. Biden’s team has been remarkably optimistic, emphasizing that he is still active, still traveling between Delaware and D.C., and even working on his presidential library.
Actionable Insights for Families
Watching a public figure navigate a health crisis like this often brings up questions about our own families. If you have an older male relative, here’s what the medical community generally suggests based on the "Biden scenario":
- Don't ignore the "small" stuff. Biden’s cancer was caught after he reported urinary symptoms. Frequent nighttime trips to the bathroom or a weak stream are often just "getting old," but they can be red flags.
- The PSA debate is real. Talk to a urologist specifically about whether to continue screening past age 75. It’s not a one-size-fits-all answer.
- Second opinions matter. Especially with a Gleason score of 8 or 9, getting a multi-disciplinary team (oncologist, urologist, radiologist) is vital for managing the side effects of treatment.
- Monitor the skin. Regular full-body checks for basal cell carcinoma are non-negotiable, especially for those who spent years outdoors.
Biden’s journey is a reminder that even with the best medical care on the planet, aging is a "full-contact sport," as he might say. He isn't "sick" in the sense of being bedridden, but he is living with a chronic, advanced disease that requires constant management. Staying informed about the actual medical facts helps cut through the noise of the 24-hour news cycle.