Jill Biden Reveals Joe Biden Has Stage 4 Cancer, Says Slowed
Former first lady Dr. Jill Biden has disclosed that former President Joe Biden is living with stage 4 prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones, revealing in a series of interviews that the 83-year-old will require lifelong treatment and has “slowed down” under the toll of the disease. The disclosure, made during a book event and subsequent media appearances, offers an unusually personal and detailed look into the health struggles of the nation’s 46th president.
The Diagnosis and Discovery
According to Fox News, Biden was diagnosed in May 2025 after Jill insisted he see a urologist following persistent symptoms. While still president, she noticed he was getting up seven times a night to use the bathroom, but assumed a doctor would follow up. It was only after leaving the White House in January 2025 that she pushed him to seek specialist care.
“I never imagined it would be prostate cancer,” Jill Biden said during a discussion with political commentator Ana Navarro. “I just never imagined it.”
Doctors found a “small nodule” on his prostate during an exam. Further testing revealed aggressive prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 9 — the most severe category — that had already spread to his bones. USA Today reported that Biden’s team revealed he had stopped getting prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests around 2014 due to his age, meaning the cancer went undetected during his presidency.
Treatment and Current Condition
Biden underwent five weeks of radiation therapy in October 2025, traveling from Delaware to Philadelphia for treatment. He is also on hormone therapy and specialized medications. In September 2025, he additionally underwent surgery to treat skin cancer.
“I think if he had just been, you know, diagnosed with prostate cancer, that’s one thing, because that can be cured,” Jill Biden told USA Today. “But the fact that it metastasized to his bones, that makes it a whole different story.”
She added: “So I think Joe will live with cancer ‘till the rest of his life.”
Despite the diagnosis, Jill Biden emphasized that her husband remains active, attending Democratic Party events and maintaining a public schedule. However, she acknowledged the toll the disease has taken.
“He keeps his schedule, but he’s slowed down,” she said. “I mean, stage four cancer is — and he’s 83 — so, I think the mix of everything and the medications that he’s taken has made life a little more difficult these days.”
Jill Biden’s Role as Caretaker
The former first lady has been candid about the challenges of serving as her husband’s primary caretaker, a role she described as difficult.
“I have to make sure he gets the right medications,” she explained. “I’m the one talking to the doctors. I’m the one setting up the appointments. I’m the one to make sure that he eats well.”
Her disclosures have come during a media tour promoting her memoir, “View From the East Wing: A Memoir,” which has also touched on the political turmoil surrounding her husband’s 2024 reelection campaign.
Political Implications and the 2024 Election Context
Jill Biden has acknowledged that her husband “would not have been able to serve another four years” as president based on what she now knows about his health. Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race following his disastrous June 2024 debate against Donald Trump, after which Democrats — including many longtime allies — publicly called for him to step aside.
According to The New York Post, Jill Biden has argued there is a “double standard” in how age and mental acuity are discussed regarding her husband compared to President Donald Trump, who turns 80 on June 14.
A Family’s Ongoing Battle with Cancer
Cancer has profoundly shaped the Biden family. Joe Biden’s eldest son, Beau Biden, died of glioblastoma in 2015 at age 46 — a loss that inspired the former president’s “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, which he launched as vice president and continued during his presidency with the goal of halving the cancer death rate over 25 years.
The irony of Biden now battling the disease himself has not been lost on observers. Medical experts quoted by Fox News expressed being “absolutely shocked” that the cancer was not detected during his time in the White House, given the regular medical checkups afforded to a sitting president.
What’s Next
As Biden continues his treatment regimen, his family has stressed that he remains engaged in public life while managing a condition that will require lifelong management. The disclosure has reignited conversations about presidential health transparency and the adequacy of medical screening protocols for aging leaders. For the Biden family, the focus remains on navigating this latest chapter in their long and personal battle with cancer.