Former President Joe Biden is reviewing treatment options after he was diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones, his office said Sunday.
Biden, 82, had experienced urinary symptoms that led to the discovery of a prostate nodule, according to his personal office, and he was diagnosed with cancer on Friday.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” a statement from his office read. “The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”
Biden, who was the oldest-serving president before leaving office in January, had faced questions about his health and mental acuity during his time in the White House, concerns that ramped up following his stumbling performance during a debate with Donald Trump in June. He ended his reelection bid the following month amid mounting pressure from Democrats to exit the race.
Biden has largely kept a low profile since leaving the White House. Last week, though, ahead of the publication of “Original Sin,” Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s damning account of his physical and mental decline while in office, he pushed back against his critics during an appearance on “The View.”
“They are wrong,’’ he said. “There’s nothing to sustain that.’’
Biden, who lost his son Beau Biden to brain cancer, launched a national initiative to “end cancer as we know it” in 2016, when he served as vice president.
News of Biden’s diagnosis brought bipartisan messages of support on social media from allies and rivals alike.
Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump were “saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis.”
“We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who was elevated to the top of the Democratic ticket last year after Biden ended his campaign, expressed hope that her former boss would make a “full and speedy recovery.”
“Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership,” she said.
Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee and a breast cancer survivor, called the former president a “ferocious fighter,” adding, “I know he’ll handle this battle with strength and dignity.”
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a frequent critic of the former president, called for prayers for Biden and his family.
“I’m sorry to see this news,” the Republican congresswoman said. “Cancer is truly awful. My Dad passed away in 2021 with cancer.”
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