Former president Joe Biden has issued his first public message since it was revealed on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
“Cancer touches us all,” the former president wrote on social media. “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”
Biden, 82, received the diagnosis on Friday after doctors discovered a “small nodule” on his prostate that required further evaluation.
They have since determined the cancer is “high grade” and has spread to the bone.
The veteran Democrat and his family are currently reviewing treatment options.
After the news was announced, tributes poured in from politicians on both sides of the aisle.
President Donald Trump sent his “warmest and best wishes” to Biden, Barack Obama paid tribute and former vice president Kamala Harris called him a “fighter.”
But the current president’s son, Donald Trump Jr, questioned whether Dr Jill Biden had helped “cover up” her husband’s health scare and MAGA activist Laura Loomer alleged the announcement was a “PR strategy” to distract from a forthcoming book critical of his final year in office.
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Don Jr leads MAGA world in spreading conspiracy theories about ‘coverup’ of Biden’s cancer diagnosis
Tributes pour in from across the political spectrum as Joe Biden announces prostate cancer diagnosis
Key Points
- Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer
- Former president thanks public for support: ‘Cancer touches us all’
- What is metastatic cancer?
- How did Biden’s doctors miss his condition?
- President Donald Trump sends 'warmest and best wishes' to Biden
Watch: Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer
16:30
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Gustaf Kilander
King Charles sends best wishes to Biden in a private message
16:03
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Rhian Lubin, AP
The King has written privately to former President Joe Biden after he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, Buckingham Palace said.
Charles, who is still undergoing his own treatment for an undisclosed cancer, sent his best wishes to Biden in the wake of his health news.
The King hosted Biden for tea and talks at Windsor in July 2023, with a spokesman for the monarch saying the relationship between the pair had been “extremely cordial”.
Elon Musk endorses conspiracy theory concerning Biden’s cancer diagnosis
15:30
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Joe Sommerlad
The world’s richest man appeared to sign off on a conspiracy theory from right-wing podcast host Clint Russell on Sunday night accusing the Democrats of forging an “evil” plan to get Joe Biden re-elected last year and then strategically drop out because of his cancer diagnosis to pave the way for Kamala Harris to take the reins.
Here’s Madeline Sherratt to explain.
Trump has not spoken to Biden, White House says
15:00
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Joe Sommerlad
My colleague Andrew Feinberg reports that the following question was put to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt just now: “The president put out a very nice message on troop social. Has he talked to President Biden directly? Does he intend to call? What does he intend to say directly?”
She answered: “Not to my knowledge. I don’t believe they have spoken, but I’m sure the president would be open to doing that. I spoke to him last night about the former president’s cancer diagnosis, and the statement that he put out was the initial reaction he had with me on the phone as well.”
She then took this follow up question: “Can you say whether or not President Trump is screening for prostate cancer as part of his physical?”
Leavitt answered: “To the best of my understanding, he is, but we can certainly check in with the White House physician and go back and look at that physical report.”
What does a Gleason score of 9 mean? Biden’s cancer diagnosis explained
14:30
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Joe Sommerlad
The former president’s office said yesterday his cancer has a Gleason score of nine out of ten.
It also said his cancer “appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management”.
Here’s what that means.
British PM wishes Biden well after cancer diagnosis
14:00
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Jessica Coates
Sir Keir Starmer has said he wishes Joe Biden a “swift and successful treatment” after the former U.S. president announced he had been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer.
“I am very sorry to hear President Biden has prostate cancer,” the PM said.
“All the very best to Joe, his wife Jill and their family, and wishing the President swift and successful treatment.”
Here’s more.
Watch: ‘Saddened’ Donald Trump reacts to Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis
13:40
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Joe Sommerlad
‘Thank you for lifting us up’
13:30
,
Joe Sommerlad
Here’s Rhian Lubin’s story on Joe Biden’s first public message since yesterday’s news broke.
Biden thanks public for support: ‘Cancer touches us all’
13:20
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Joe Sommerlad
Here’s a new message from the former president this morning thanking people for reaching out after yesterday’s news.
“Cancer touches us all,” he writes.
“Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”
Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support. pic.twitter.com/oSS1vGIiwU
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 19, 2025
Meanwhile, here’s a complete guide to his condition and its treatment.
Don Jr leads MAGA world in spreading conspiracy theories about ‘coverup’ of Biden’s cancer diagnosis
13:00
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Joe Sommerlad
The president's son wasted little time yesterday in moving on from expressions of sympathy to alleging a further “coverup” of the Democrat’s health issues.
Tom Watling reports.
CNN host describes timing of Biden’s cancer announcement as ‘extraordinary’
12:40
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Joe Sommerlad
The network’s media pundit Brian Stelter has questioned the timing of former president Joe Biden’s announcement on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, calling it “extraordinary” as the news coincides with a series of negative stories about the Democrat’s final years in the White House.
“The timing is just extraordinary,” Stelter told his CNN colleague Jessica Dean in response to the development.
“Biden learned of the diagnosis Friday. Well what was the biggest Biden story on Friday? It was the release of those excruciating audio excerpts from his conversations with Robert Hur back in 2023.”
He was referring to the leaking of audio on Friday from Biden’s 2023 interview with Justice Department special counsel Robert Hur about allegations that he improperly stored classified documents at his Delaware home, which revealed the president struggling to remember key dates and details, having to be prompted by his lawyers and speaking in a hoarse, whispering voice.
“You have that [audio release] as one element of the timing here,” Stelter continued. “And then you have this book coming out… one of the biggest political books in several years.”
The work in question is the forthcoming Original Sin by Dean’s fellow anchor at the network Jake Tapper with Axios reporter Alex Thompson, which aims to shine a light on the conversations behind the scenes that led to the president’s historic decision last July to drop out of the 2024 race, paving the way for his vice president Kamala Harris to run in his stead and, ultimately, lose to Trump in November.
Here’s more.
How did Biden’s doctors miss his condition?
12:20
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Joe Sommerlad
Here’s Madeline Sherratt on the questions already being asked about how the Democrat’s condition was missed by White House physicians during his time as commander-in-chief.
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer and how common is it?
12:00
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Greg Evans, Joe Sommerlad, Ariana Baio
Biden is currently reviewing his treatment options with his family and physicians, his spokesperson said yesterday.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men in the U.S., affecting approximately one in eight during their lifetime.
While the condition is more likely to affect men over the age of 65, it can be diagnosed at a younger age.
From symptoms to treatment, here’s everything you need to know about the condition.
Biden receives tributes from political strategist and gun control advocate
11:30
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Gustaf Kilander
Democratic strategist and political commentator Symone Sanders-Townsend said, “Joe Biden is a fine man, a dedicated public servant, a loving father, husband and grandfather. If you’re a praying person like I am, offer one up.”
Gun control advocate Fred Guttenberg also took to X to praise the former president.
“If you have followed my story, you know how much I love Joe Biden and how much he means to me,” he said.
“He is a testament to decency and civility and all that is good about America. Sending President Biden and his family much love as they now pursue medical options.”
Biden's near-death experiences in the 1980s
11:00
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Andrew Feinberg
Twice in the 1980s, Biden had near-death experiences that required him to undergo brain surgery twice within five months.
He described them in a speech delivered at a Jerusalem hospital during a February 2023 visit to Israel.
“I was making a speech and I had a terrible headache — this was years ago — and I did a very stupid thing: I got on an aircraft and I flew home. It turned out I had two cranial aneurysms, and I got rushed to a hospital in the middle of a snowstorm for a nine-and-a-half-hour operation that saved my life,” he recalled, describing the February 1988 trip to Walter Reed Army Medical Centre, then in Northwest Washington DC.
The plane ride Biden spoke of came after he’d passed out in a hotel following a speech at the University of Rochester.
In his 2007 memoir, Promises to Keep, Biden wrote that he recalled having "lightning flashing inside my head, a powerful electrical surge — and then a rip of pain like I'd never felt before”.
At Walter Reed, he was told he needed surgery, with only a 50-50 chance he’d live through the procedure.
"Maybe I should have been frightened at this point, but I felt calm," he wrote. "In fact, I felt becalmed, like I was floating gently in the wide-open sea. It surprised me, but I had no real fear of dying. I'd long since accepted the fact that life's guarantees don't include a fair shake."
But he did survive, and three months later he underwent a similar procedure to fix another, smaller aneurysm on the opposite side from the first.
According to The Daily Beast, the then-senator made a last-minute request of the surgeon, Dr Neal Kassell, as he was being wheeled in for the procedure.
“He looked me in the eye and said: ‘Doc, do a good job, because someday I’m going to be president,’” Dr Kassell said in November 2020, just days after Biden’s prediction finally became reality with his victory over Trump.
Former urologist congressman ‘wonders why’ Biden not fully tested for prostate cancer as president
10:30
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Joe Sommerlad
North Carolina Republican Rep. Greg Murphy, a medic by background, has expressed concern as to why Joe Biden was not given both a blood test and a rectal exam while president to determine the likelihood of his having prostate cancer or not.
Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC), a urologist, weighs in on Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis pic.twitter.com/jSCEQvBJFu
— bryan metzger (@metzgov) May 18, 2025
However, according to a physician cited by NBC News, experts do not usually recommend the prostate-specific antigen blood test for men over 70, although he conceded that in some cases it may be warranted.
“It’s a risk-benefit analysis, and given he was vice president and then president, the benefit of screening was high,” Dr Kavita Patel, who worked in the Obama administration, told NBC.
“I have ordered and screened 80- and 86-year-olds if they are otherwise in good health and or have a family history.”
Piers Morgan blasts social media users celebrating Biden's health news
10:00
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Gustaf Kilander
British journalist and broadcaster Piers Morgan took aim at social media users appearing to celebrate the news of Biden’s cancer.
“I’m going to block anyone I see – and there’s already a lot of this vile crap flying around – mocking, celebrating, or playing partisan politics with Joe Biden’s health news,” he said.
“The man has served his country for 50 yrs and is fighting for his life. Show some bloody respect.”
Former Biden spokesperson TJ Ducklo wrote on the social media platform that “No one in America is stronger than Joe Biden. Mine metastasized to the bones too.
“Cancer has no f***ing idea who it’s dealing with. Betting against Biden has never been and still remains a bad f***ing bet.”
MAGA influencer Laura Loomer claims Biden announcement is ‘PR strategy’
09:30
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Joe Sommerlad
Far-right activist Loomer, who is known to have President Donald Trump’s ear, has decided that now is an appropriate time to say “I told you so” by claiming to have first reported on Biden’s diagnosis to her supporters a year ago.
She also claims the timing of the family’s announcement is intended to shoot down a forthcoming book critical of his final year in the White House, referring to Original Sin by Jakes Tapper and Alex Thompson.
I reported on Biden’s terminal illness almost a year ago.
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 18, 2025
Terminal is 6 months to a year left to live. There are always outliers, but I suspect Biden’s treatment isn’t responding anymore which is why the family is only now admitting he is terminally ill.
He could die in the… https://t.co/W7NwWkJDw2
Barack Obama pays tribute to former veep’s own role in supporting new cancer treatments
09:00
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Joe Sommerlad
The 44th president has offered a moving tribute to the man who stood at his side for eight years in the White House, noting Biden’s own record in advancing cancer treatment through his Cancer Moonshot program and tipping him to recover “with his trademark resolve and grace.”
Michelle and I are thinking of the entire Biden family. Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace. We pray for a fast and full recovery.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) May 18, 2025
Donald Trump Jr pushes Biden cancer conspiracy theory
08:30
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Joe Sommerlad
The president’s eldest son initially responded graciously to the news of Joe Biden’s illness, saying that he “agreed 100 percent” with best wishes for his speedy recovery.
Agreed 100% pic.twitter.com/ry4aifQtVx
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 18, 2025
But it didn’t take long before he pivoted to conspiracy theories, asking why the former first lady, Dr Jill Biden, who is not a medical doctor, hadn’t diagnosed her husband’s condition before now, suggesting another “coverup” along with that alleged by conservatives to have taken place among Biden aides last year to conceal his supposed cognitive decline ahead of the election.
What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer or is this yet another coverup??? pic.twitter.com/fSqtDmcX4p
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 18, 2025
Biden battled Covid twice during presidency
08:00
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Andrew Feinberg
The former president also battled Covid-19 at two different points during his term, once in 2022 and a second time in July 2024, days before he decided to stand down from his re-election bid after his disastrous debate with Trump.
Before his first bout with Covid, the most serious health problem he had faced since winning the 2020 election had been a broken foot, endured while playing with one of his German Shepherd dogs.
Biden oldest-serving president in American history
07:00
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Gustaf Kilander
Biden dropped out of the 2024 rematch against Trump after a disastrous debate in late June last year. Biden appeared frail and struggled to finish sentences. Trump has regularly mocked his predecessor as “Sleepy Joe” and he has frequently blamed the Biden administration for any setbacks during the beginning of his second term.
Democrats have been agonising over their handling of the 2024 election and whether they should have stepped in sooner to urge Biden to step aside. However, there’s no indication that there’s a connection between Biden’s cancer and his physical and verbal struggles, which led to questioning if he was able to serve another four years.
Biden is the oldest-serving president in American history, and his recent announcement puts the focus on the age of other U.S. politicians, including the 78-year-old Trump, who will become the oldest-serving president in history if he serves out his full term in the White House.
Republicans lament Biden's health news
06:00
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Gustaf Kilander
Trump’s fellow Republicans commented on the news of Biden’s diagnosis.
Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins said she was “saddened to hear of President Biden’s cancer diagnosis and am wishing him and his family well as he begins treatment.”
North Carolina Republican Senator Thom Tillis said he was “praying for his full recovery.”
Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee lamented the “sad news.”
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she was “sorry to see this news. Cancer is truly awful. My Dad passed away in 2021 with cancer. Prays for Joe Biden and his family.”
WATCH: Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer
05:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
Biden's health dominant concern during presidency
04:30
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AP
The health of Biden, 82, was a dominant concern among voters during his time as president. After a calamitous debate performance in June while seeking reelection, Biden abandoned his bid for a second term. Then-Vice President Kamala Harris became the nominee and lost to Republican Donald Trump, who returned to the White House after a four-year hiatus.
But in recent days, Biden rejected concerns about his age despite reporting in the new book “Original Sin” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson that aides had shielded the public from the extent of his decline while serving as president.
Not Biden's first cancer diagnosis
04:00
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Andrew Feinberg
This is not the first time he has been diagnosed with a form of cancer.
In March 2023, the White House announced that Biden had undergone a procedure to remove a common type of skin cancer from his chest.
A memorandum from O’Connor released to the press at the time said a biopsy “confirmed that the small lesion” removed from the then-president “was basal cell carcinoma”.
Biden's high cancer score
03:30
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AP
Prostate cancers are given a score called a Gleason score that measures, on a scale of 1 to 10, how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. Biden’s score of 9 suggests his cancer is among the most aggressive.
When prostate cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it often spreads to the bones. Metastasized cancer is much harder to treat than localized cancer because it can be hard for drugs to reach all the tumors and completely root out the disease.
However, when prostate cancers need hormones to grow, as in Biden’s case, they can be susceptible to treatment that deprives the tumors of hormones.
Biden White House Press Secretary denied he was suffering from Alzheimer’s
03:00
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Andrew Feinberg
Four months after his final physical, Biden’s performance at a June 2024 debate with Donald Trump was so dismal that he was forced to exit the race just five weeks later. During the 90-minute televised session, he appeared frail and was unable to form coherent sentences at times, leading to questions over whether he was suffering from any sort of degenerative condition.
Last July, then-White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre denied that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia, or another degenerative illness that would explain his rambling, meandering performance. And no evidence has emerged that Biden has been diagnosed with any condition that would have had such an effect on his mental acuity other than the normal aging process.
Biden diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer
02:30
,
AP
Biden was seen last week by doctors after urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule was found. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone. His office said he has stage 9 cancer.
Read more:
WATCH: Joe Biden diagnosed with 'aggressive form' of prostate cancer
02:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
Biden had skin lesion removed in early 2023
01:30
,
AP
In February 2023, Biden had a skin lesion removed from his chest that was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer. And in November 2021, he had a polyp removed from his colon that was a benign, but potentially pre-cancerous lesion.
In 2022, Biden made a “cancer moonshot” one of his administration's priorities with the goal of halving the cancer death rate over the next 25 years. The initiative was a continuation of his work as vice president to address a disease that had killed his older son, Beau.
Biden declared 'healthy' in February 2024
01:00
,
Andrew Feinberg
As president, Biden had regular physical examinations at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, that were conducted by Dr. Kevin O’Connor, a former U.S. Army physician who began treating Biden during his time as vice president in the Obama administration.
Though he was the oldest person to serve as commander-in-chief, O’Connor’s reports from those annual exams downplayed his age and invariably pronounced him fit to serve.
One February 2024 memorandum from O’Connor, following Biden’s final annual physical as president, described him as “a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief.”
Watch: Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer
Monday 19 May 2025 00:45
,
Ariana Baio
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer and how common is it
Monday 19 May 2025 00:20
,
Ariana Baio
Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men in the U.S., affecting approximately one in eight men during their lifetime.
While the condition is more likely to affect men over the age of 65, it can be diagnosed at a younger age.
Read more here:
Trump ‘saddened’ to hear about Biden’s cancer diagnosis and sends ‘warm wishes’ from him and Melania
Monday 19 May 2025 00:00
,
Gustaf Kilander
President Donald Trump has said he’s “saddened” after his predecessor and rival Joe Biden was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Read more here:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he is praying for Biden
Sunday 18 May 2025 23:43
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Ariana Baio
Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, issued a short statement acknowledging former president Joe Biden had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“Jeanette and I are united in prayer for the Biden Family during this difficult time,” Rubio wrote on X.
Biden prostate cancer diagnosis: Inside the 82-year-old former president’s health history
Sunday 18 May 2025 23:15
,
Andrew Feinberg
Former president Joe Biden’s diagnosis of what his office calls an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer is the latest in a long line of health woes and scares that have followed the 82-year-old throughout his political career.
Read more here:
Biden's health has been subject to debate for years
Sunday 18 May 2025 23:00
,
Ariana Baio
As the oldest person to serve as president of the United States, Joe Biden’s physical and cognitive health has been questioned by political enemies and allies alike.
Whether or not Biden could withstand the stresses of being president for four years became a question when the former president launched his 2020 presidential bid.
Those questions turned into a controversy after Biden took office and then launched a re-election bid.
Any stumble or stutter the former president experienced became headline news, with his opponents heightening fears that Biden was unfit to be president.
Ultimately, Biden’s poor performance during his debate against President Donald Trump solidified the public’s uneasiness with Biden remaining in office.
Kamala Harris says 'Joe is a fighter'
Sunday 18 May 2025 22:58
,
Ariana Baio
Former vice president Kamala Harris issued a statement in support of Joe Biden after news broke that the former president had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Harris said she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were “saddened” to hear the news of the diagnosis.
But she contended that Biden is a “fighter.”
“Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery,” Harris wrote in a post on X.
President Donald Trump sends 'warmest and best wishes' to Biden
Sunday 18 May 2025 22:37
,
Ariana Baio
President Donald Trump said he and First Lady Melania Trump were “saddened” to hear of Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis and extended warm wishes to the former president.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and
