What Joe Biden's Diagnosis Can Help Us Understand About Prostate Cancer

On screen

In May 2025, former President Joe Biden's office announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer after he experienced urinary symptoms. It was widely reported that the cancer was an aggressive form that had spread to bone, and that it appeared to be hormone-sensitive — a feature that, according to his doctors as reported in the news, can make the disease more treatable.

We share only what was publicly reported, and we do not speculate about any private details of his care.

The reality

According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the United States and the second leading cause of cancer death among men. NCI notes that prostate cancer usually grows very slowly. Because of that, finding and treating it before symptoms appear does not always improve a man's health or help him live longer. But prostate cancer can also behave more aggressively in some people, and in some cases it spreads (metastasizes) beyond the prostate to other parts of the body, such as bone. When cancer spreads, it is still named for where it began — so prostate cancer that reaches the bones is still called prostate cancer.

What the story gets right — and what to remember

Mr. Biden's diagnosis is a reminder that prostate cancer is common, especially as men get older, and that it can range from very slow-growing to aggressive. But one person's diagnosis, stage, and treatment do not predict anyone else's. Prostate cancer is a spectrum, and the same words — even "aggressive" — can mean different things for different people. His story is a chance to learn, not a roadmap for any individual's care, and not medical advice.

Awareness, screening & prevention

NCI explains that the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test can help detect prostate cancer, but that screening has both possible benefits and possible harms. Because many prostate cancers grow slowly and may never cause problems, screening can sometimes lead to finding and treating cancers that would not have caused harm — while also, in other cases, catching cancers that do need treatment. For this reason, NCI encourages men to talk with their healthcare team about whether PSA screening is right for them, taking into account age, family history, and personal preferences. There is no single answer that fits everyone; it is a shared decision.

Turning a story into something useful

When a well-known person shares a cancer diagnosis, many people wonder about their own health. A calm, useful response is to learn what prostate cancer actually is, understand that screening is a personal decision worth discussing with a doctor, and know that treatments exist across the range of the disease. Sharing accurate, non-alarming information — and supporting free cancer education — helps more people approach these questions with clarity instead of fear.

Questions to ask a healthcare team

• Based on my age, family history, and health, would PSA screening make sense for me?
• What are the possible benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening in my situation?
• If prostate cancer is found, what do the stage and other test results mean?
• Where can I find reliable, plain-language information about prostate cancer?