Joe Biden, 82, Enters Next Phase of Cancer Treatment
The former president has begun radiation therapy.

MEGA/GC Images
Former President Joe Biden has started the next phase of his cancer treatment, with an aide telling Politico that he is now receiving radiation therapy in order to combat the prostate cancer he was diagnosed with earlier this year.
“As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment,” Kelly Scully, a spokesperson for Biden, told Politico.
It was revealed in May that Biden had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. At the time, his office said that the cancer “appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management.”
After news of his cancer broke, Biden tweeted a photo with his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and their cat Willow, adding the caption, “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.”
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
The former president was photographed with a bandage on his head last month after undergoing skin cancer surgery, with a spokesperson confirming to the Daily Beast that he received Mohs surgery, a procedure in which thin layers of skin are cut away until no signs of cancer remain.
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During his presidency, Biden devoted significant resources to supporting cancer research, including establishing the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, which aimed to prevent 4 million deaths from cancer by 2047.
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Biden’s eldest son Beau died from brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46. Earlier this year, in his first public speech since his own cancer diagnosis, Biden acknowledged the tenth anniversary of Beau’s death while paying tribute to fallen service members during a Memorial Day service in Delaware.
“I know for many of you, Memorial Day, like for us, is deeply personal. For the Bidens, this day is the 10th anniversary of the loss of my son Beau, who spent a year in Iraq. And to be honest, it’s a hard day... Being with all of you makes things a little bit easier, it really does. Thank you for allowing me to grieve with you,” Biden said.
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