Former US President Joe Biden’s aggressive prostate cancer has metastasised beyond his bones, causing severe pain, his son Hunter Biden revealed.
Speaking in an winterview with BBC, Hunter Biden outlined the deteriorating physical condition of the 83-year-old Democratic leader, who left office in January 2025.
“The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” Hunter Biden told BBC’s “Newsnight,” according to video posted online on Friday. “It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects.”
A spokesman for the former president declined on Saturday to comment on the interview.
Joe Biden Cancer Update Signals Growing Health Challenges
The disclosure provides the most detailed insight yet into the former president’s health since his initial diagnosis. Biden revealed in May 2025, less than four months after he left the White House, that he had been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer, saying at the time that it had spread to his bones.
Medical management of the condition has been under way for several months. A Biden spokesman said in October he was undergoing radiation treatment and hormone therapy.
Prostate cancer that spreads to the skeletal system and adjacent organs typically requires continuous palliative care to manage discomfort and slow progression. The disclosure highlights the physical strain on the former leader, who was the oldest person to win the U.S. presidency at the time of his election in 2020.
Questions regarding Biden’s physical health and mental acuity drew scrutiny during his 2021 to 2025 presidency. These concerns ultimately influenced the broader political landscape during his final year in the White House.
Despite his ongoing treatment, the former president has maintained selected public engagements. Biden attended the dedication of Barack Obama’s presidential library in June in Chicago. Biden served as Obama’s vice president from 2009 to 2017.
Managing Medical Transparencies in Post-Presidential Life
The health struggles of former commanders-in-chief often reshape public perception of their executive tenures. Medical disclosures after leaving office carry significant historical weight, framing how biographers and the public evaluate a leader’s final months in power.
For the Democratic Party, the medical update comes at a moment when party strategists are reflecting on the transition of leadership and the political legacy of the 2020–2025 administration. Public attention remains focused on how executive duties were balanced with early, undisclosed health challenges during his final term.
The former president’s public engagements remain limited as he focuses on his medical regimen. Attention is also turning toward his upcoming literary contributions. Biden’s presidential memoir is scheduled for release on November 17, which is expected to offer his personal reflections on his presidency, his family, and his long public career.
