Biden Confronts Prostate Cancer Amid Personal Tragedy \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Former President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, adding a deeply personal layer to a disease that has already devastated his family. From losing his son Beau to brain cancer to Jill Biden’s recent cancer scare, Biden’s public and private lives have long been shaped by this battle. His diagnosis comes as he works to preserve his legacy after stepping back from political life.
Quick Looks
- Cancer Diagnosis Confirmed: Biden’s cancer has spread to the bones, making it incurable but treatable.
- A Family’s Tragic Pattern: His son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015, and Jill Biden survived skin cancer.
- Legacy Tied to Cancer Advocacy: Biden launched a “cancer moonshot” to accelerate research and treatment.
- Post-Politics Fight: After leaving office, Biden continues to champion health care reforms like the PACT Act.
- Personal Loss, Public Mission: Biden has linked Beau’s death to toxic exposure during military service.
- Long History of Health Challenges: He previously survived a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1988.
- Political Impact: Biden’s diagnosis follows his decision to step aside, clearing a path for Donald Trump’s return.
- Outlook and Strength: Despite serious illness, Biden continues to fight for the causes that defined his presidency.
Deep Look
In the Biden family, the words “you have cancer” are more than a diagnosis — they’re a generational wound. First came the loss of Beau Biden, Joe’s beloved son and political heir, to brain cancer in 2015. Then, Jill Biden, the former first lady, faced and beat skin cancer in 2023. Now, the disease has struck Joe Biden himself.
Over the weekend, Biden’s office confirmed that the 82-year-old former president has been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer that has spread to his bones, a stage that makes the condition incurable but treatable.
“Cancer touches us all,” Biden wrote on social media. “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places.”
Cancer’s Shadow Over a Political Life
Biden’s diagnosis is the latest chapter in a life shaped by personal tragedy, resilience, and public service. When Beau Biden, a rising political star and Delaware’s attorney general, died from brain cancer in 2015, it devastated the family and changed the course of U.S. politics. Biden, then serving as vice president under Barack Obama, decided against running for president in 2016, opening the path for Hillary Clinton, who ultimately lost to Donald Trump.
Later, Biden would return to politics to challenge Trump in 2020, but the grief of losing Beau never left him.
“Beau should be the one running for president, not me,” Biden would say again and again, a reflection of the deep bond and loss that defined his late years in politics.
From Grief to Action: Cancer as a Public Cause
Following Beau’s death, Biden transformed his grief into advocacy, leading the White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force, aiming to fast-track cancer research and improve outcomes. Upon becoming president, Biden resurrected the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, drawing inspiration from President John F. Kennedy’s 1960s space race speech.
In 2022, standing at the JFK Presidential Library, Biden declared,
“Beating cancer is something we can do together.”
He backed that promise with legislation, notably the PACT Act, expanding health care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits—a subject close to his heart. Biden believes Beau’s fatal illness was connected to his service in Iraq with the National Guard, where exposure to toxic substances was common.
“My son Beau was one of them,” Biden said. “Headaches, dizziness, cancer. These are the hidden scars of war.”
Jill Biden’s Battle and a Shared Fight
The following year, Jill Biden faced her own cancer scare, undergoing surgery to remove two cancerous lesions, one above her eye and another on her chest. The growths were found to be basal cell carcinoma, a common and typically treatable form of skin cancer.
During a trip to Africa, Jill spoke about the diagnosis:
“It was a little harder than I thought,” she said. “But I’m lucky. They caught it early, they removed it, and I’m healthy.”
For the Bidens, cancer has never been just a personal burden — it has become a public mission.
Facing Mortality Again
Biden has looked death in the eye before. In 1988, he suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm, collapsing in a New York hotel room and undergoing emergency surgery. He later described the ordeal in his memoir “Promises to Keep”:
“I had no real fear of dying. I’d long since accepted the fact that life’s guarantees don’t include a fair shake.”
That stoic resolve may once again define his path forward. With the Gleason score for his prostate cancer reported as 9—indicating a highly aggressive form of the disease—Biden faces a prognosis that is serious but manageable. Medical experts say men in his condition can often live four to five years with proper treatment, typically involving hormone therapy rather than surgery or radiation.
A Legacy in the Balance
Biden’s health revelation comes at a time when he has stepped away from public life, choosing not to pursue a second presidential term amid questions about his age and fitness. His decision cleared the way for Donald Trump’s return to the White House, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in a contentious rematch.
Now, Biden is focused on protecting his legacy, both as a public servant and as a man who has dedicated much of his later years to fighting a disease that took his son and nearly took his wife.
“He’s always on to the next fight,” said Denis McDonough, former Veterans Affairs Secretary. “He’s not the kind to dwell—he takes action.”
As Biden begins this deeply personal battle, his journey mirrors that of many Americans: one of sorrow, survival, and the hope that even in our broken places, we can find strength.
Biden Confronts Prostate Biden Confronts Prostate
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