It was the kind of announcement that stops the 24-hour news cycle dead in its tracks. In May 2025, the office of former President Joe Biden confirmed a diagnosis that many had feared but few expected to be quite so severe. Joe Biden is diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and the details released by his medical team paint a picture of a very serious health battle for the 82-year-old.
The diagnosis wasn't just a "watch and wait" situation. We're talking about a Gleason score of 9. For those who aren't urology nerds, that’s about as high as it gets on the scale of 6 to 10. It means the cells look extremely abnormal under a microscope and are likely to grow and spread fast. Honestly, by the time it was caught, it had already metastasized to his bones.
The Reality of a Stage 4 Diagnosis
When news broke that Biden is diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, the immediate question was: how did this get missed? He had access to the best doctors on the planet while in the White House. His last few physicals—the ones the public sees—always called him "fit for duty."
But there's a medical catch here.
Standard guidelines actually suggest stopping routine PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) screenings for men once they hit 75 or 80. The logic is usually that something else will get you before a slow-growing prostate cancer does. Except, Biden’s cancer wasn't slow. It was the aggressive kind that doesn't always play by the rules.
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His team says his last PSA test was way back in 2014. That’s a decade-long gap. It wasn't until he started having "urinary symptoms" that doctors took a closer look and found a nodule. By then, the horse was out of the barn.
Breaking Down the Gleason 9 Score
A Gleason score of 9 essentially puts a patient in "Grade Group 5." This is the most aggressive category. In Biden’s case, because it reached his bones, it’s officially Stage 4.
- Metastasis: The cancer moved from the prostate to the skeletal system.
- Hormone Sensitivity: His doctors noted the cancer is "hormone-sensitive," which is actually a bit of a silver lining. It means the cancer still responds to treatments that block testosterone, which is the "fuel" this type of cancer uses to grow.
- Treatment Path: He started a heavy regimen of radiation therapy and hormone treatment (androgen deprivation therapy) in late 2025.
Why the Timing Raised So Many Eyebrows
There’s been plenty of chatter about whether the White House knew about this earlier. Political rivals were quick to point out that it’s "unusual" for a cancer to go from zero to metastatic bone cancer in the few months after leaving office.
Dr. Ming Zhou and other experts have noted that while it’s plausible, it’s definitely not the norm. Most guys get diagnosed at Stage 1 or 2 through routine blood work. Finding it at Stage 4 is a "crisis diagnosis."
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Biden hasn't just been dealing with the prostate issue, either. In September 2025, he had Mohs surgery to remove basal cell carcinoma from his forehead. It's a lot for anyone, let alone someone in their 80s. But his team insists he’s staying active and responding well to the "testosterone-blocking" drugs.
Living With Metastatic Prostate Cancer
You might think a Stage 4 diagnosis is an immediate death sentence, but that's not really how modern oncology works. Even when Biden is diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, the goal shifts from "curing" to "managing."
It’s basically treated like a chronic disease.
Doctors like Dr. Matthew Smith from Massachusetts General Brigham have pointed out that patients can often live four, five, or even more years with metastatic disease thanks to new drugs. The focus for the former president right now is palliation—controlling pain, protecting the bones from fractures, and keeping the cancer from spreading further.
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What This Means for You
If you’re a man over 50, or if you have a family history, this story is a massive wake-up call. The "stop screening at 75" rule is a guideline, not a law.
- Don't ignore the plumbing: Biden's diagnosis came after "urinary symptoms." If you're getting up five times a night or things aren't flowing right, don't just blame old age.
- The PSA Debate: Talk to your doctor about whether continuing PSA tests makes sense for you personally. If you're healthy and active at 80, you might want to keep an eye on it.
- Know your Gleason: If you do get a diagnosis, the Gleason score is the most important number you'll hear. It dictates everything from surgery to radiation.
The takeaway here is pretty simple: even with the best medical care in the world, things can slip through the cracks. Vigilance matters. Joe Biden is currently undergoing radiation and hormone therapy, and while the road is tough, the advancements in 2026 mean he has options that didn't exist even a decade ago.
Keep an eye on your own health markers and don't be afraid to ask for a PSA test even if you're "past the age" where it's standard. It could be the difference between catching something early and dealing with a Stage 4 battle.