Former President Joe Biden is now undergoing radiation therapy for an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his spokesperson confirmed Saturday.
The news marks a serious escalation in Biden’s health battle, just four months after doctors diagnosed him with metastatic prostate cancer.
Biden’s team said the 82-year-old has begun radiation and hormone treatment as part of a long-term plan to manage the disease.
His office described the cancer as “hormone-sensitive,” suggesting it could be controlled with ongoing medical care.
Biden was first diagnosed in May after health officials discovered a prostate nodule during an examination.
Doctors said the cancer had already spread to the bone, making it an advanced and potentially life-threatening condition, per Fox News.
The former president’s spokesperson also revealed that Biden underwent Mohs surgery last month to remove cancerous skin cells.
That procedure followed an earlier surgery during his presidency to remove a lesion from his chest, which White House doctors at the time said was fully treated.
Biden has been open about his history of serious medical problems, including two life-threatening brain aneurysms in 1988.
Doctors at the time gave him a 50 percent chance of survival.
He ultimately recovered and went on to serve decades in the Senate before becoming the oldest president in U.S. history.
While in office, Biden and his wife Jill championed the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, which aimed to cut cancer deaths in half over 25 years.
The renewed focus on Biden’s health comes just one day after President Donald Trump was declared in “exceptional health” following his latest physical at Walter Reed.
White House physician Sean Barbabella said Trump’s cardiac age tested 14 years younger than his actual age of 79.
The contrast between the two former presidents could not be clearer. Trump’s doctor praised his stamina, while Biden’s team confirmed he is battling a disease many experts consider incurable.
Biden’s representatives have not said how long the radiation therapy will last or how his condition is responding to treatment.
Medical professionals say radiation and hormone therapy can slow the spread of prostate cancer, but they do not cure it once it reaches the bones.
The developments raise new questions about Biden’s future public role as he continues receiving aggressive cancer treatment.
At 83 next month, Biden faces one of the toughest health fights of his life.
Biden’s ongoing battle with prostate cancer serves as proof that the former president was not physically healthy to carry out the responsibilities of the president.
Despite this, one should hope that he prevails through this severe illness.
