Honestly, the headlines lately have been a mess. You've probably seen the snippets flying around social media or caught a stray news alert on your phone. It’s one of those topics that gets people talking fast—partly because it’s about a former president, but mostly because cancer is just scary.
So, did Joe Biden get cancer? The short answer is yes. But "cancer" is a huge word that covers a lot of ground, and in Biden's case, we are talking about two very different situations: a common skin cancer while he was in office and a much more serious prostate cancer diagnosis that came to light in early 2025.
The 2023 Skin Cancer Scare
Back in February 2023, during a routine physical, White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor found a small lesion on the President’s chest. They didn’t wait around. They removed it right then and there at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
A few weeks later, the lab results confirmed it: basal cell carcinoma.
If you’re going to get skin cancer, this is usually the "best" kind to have, if that makes sense. It doesn’t typically spread to other parts of the body like melanoma does. It basically just sits there and grows locally. Dr. O’Connor released a memo at the time saying all the cancerous tissue was successfully removed and no further treatment was needed, though Biden had to keep up with regular skin checks.
The Recent Diagnosis: What We Know Now
Things took a much more serious turn after Joe Biden left the White House. On May 18, 2025, his office dropped a bombshell: the former president had been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer.
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This wasn't just a "wait and see" situation. Doctors found a nodule during an exam after Biden started having some urinary issues. Further testing showed the cancer had a Gleason score of 9.
In the world of urology, that’s a big number. The scale goes from 6 to 10, so a 9 means the cells look very abnormal under a microscope and are likely to grow and spread fast. Unfortunately, scans confirmed that the cancer had already metastasized—meaning it spread—to his bones.
How Did Doctors Miss This?
This is the question everyone is asking. How does the most powerful man in the world, with a 24/7 medical team, end up with Stage IV cancer just months after leaving office?
There are a few theories floating around medical circles:
- The Screening Gap: Most medical guidelines, like those from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, suggest stopping routine PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) blood tests around age 75. The idea is that for most older men, prostate cancer grows so slowly that something else will get them first. Biden was 82 when this was caught. It's very possible he and his doctors decided to stop regular screening years ago.
- The "Silent" Cancer: Some aggressive cancers actually stop producing PSA. This is rare, but it means a blood test might look totally normal even while a tumor is growing.
- The Oversight Controversy: There’s been some political heat on this, too. In late 2025, the House Oversight Committee started looking into whether Dr. Kevin O’Connor’s health reports during Biden's presidency were fully transparent. They’ve raised questions about whether any symptoms were downplayed or missed during those final years in the Oval Office.
Treatment and the Path Forward
It’s not all grim news. Biden’s team noted that the cancer is hormone-sensitive.
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Prostate cancer cells usually need testosterone to grow. By using Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT)—basically "starving" the cancer of the hormones it craves—doctors can often shrink the tumors and manage the disease for years, even after it has reached the bones.
Biden has always been vocal about the fight against cancer. He lost his son, Beau, to a brain tumor in 2015, which is what fueled his "Cancer Moonshot" initiative. It’s a bit of a tragic irony that the man who pushed so hard to "end cancer as we know it" is now facing his own battle with an aggressive form of the disease.
Misconceptions and Reality Checks
There’s a lot of junk science out there right now. You might see people claiming he had cancer during the 2024 debates and that’s why he seemed tired, or "wellness gurus" claiming supplements could have prevented this.
- Did it affect the debate? There is zero medical evidence that prostate cancer causes the kind of cognitive "freezing" or memory lapses seen during the 2024 campaign. Unless it spreads to the brain—which is very rare for prostate cancer—it’s a physical ailment, not a cognitive one.
- Could he have prevented it? Age is the biggest risk factor. At 82, the risk is just statistically high. It’s not about diet or "bad energy," it’s biology.
Practical Takeaways for Your Own Health
If you or a loved one are worried about similar issues, here’s the "expert-friend" advice:
- Don't ignore the plumbing. If you're having trouble urinating, or you're getting up five times a night, go see a urologist. It’s probably just an enlarged prostate (BPH), which is benign, but you want to be sure.
- Talk about the cutoff. If you’re over 70, ask your doctor why you are or aren't doing a PSA test. It shouldn't be an automatic "no" just because of your age; it should be a conversation about your specific health.
- Skin checks are non-negotiable. If you spent your youth at the beach without SPF 50, get a dermatologist to look at your "suspicious" moles once a year. Basal cell is easy to fix if you catch it early.
Joe Biden is currently working with his medical team to choose between hormone therapy, radiation, and newer treatments like Pluvicto (a radioactive molecule that targets cancer cells). He’s reportedly staying optimistic, leaning on that same "Moonshot" spirit he championed in office.
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Keep an eye on official medical updates from reputable sources rather than social media threads. Cancer treatment moves fast, and what was a "death sentence" five years ago is often a manageable chronic condition today.
Next Steps: You might want to look into the specific symptoms of metastatic prostate cancer or check the current CDC guidelines for skin cancer screenings to ensure you're up to date on your own preventative care.