Joe Biden is receiving radiation therapy for his prostate cancer that was diagnosed in May, a spokesperson for the former US president said on Saturday morning.
“As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment,” the spokesperson said. The news was first reported by NBC.
The new round of treatment was expected to be spread over a five-week period, the spokesperson for Biden said to NBC, and marks a new point in the former president’s care. He had already been taking hormone medication in pill form, as he had previously mentioned in public when questioned in the spring about his illness.
Biden was diagnosed in May with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones, his personal office had announced. The Democrat had left the White House in January after Republican Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States, following his 2024 election victory.
Biden first spoke out in public about his diagnosis later in May, saying he was optimistic about his prognosis and that “the expectation is we are going to be able to beat this”.
The president returned to his home in Delaware after his single term in office concluded, and he turns 83 next month.
In September he underwent a procedure known as Mohs surgery to remove cancerous cells from his skin.
Reuters contributed reporting
