Former United States President Joe Biden has begun radiation therapy as part of his ongoing treatment for prostate cancer, his media aide confirmed on Saturday.
Biden, who turns 83 next month, was diagnosed in May with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. The diagnosis reportedly followed medical consultations for urinary symptoms earlier this year.
According to his spokesperson Kelly Scully, the former president is currently undergoing radiation and hormone therapy as part of his prescribed treatment plan.
The development comes just months after Biden underwent Mohs surgery to remove cancerous skin cells, following a history of earlier procedures. In February 2023, doctors removed a basal cell carcinoma from his chest, a common and typically treatable form of skin cancer. He also had a benign colon polyp removed in 2021.
Prostate cancer remains the most common cancer among men, particularly older adults. Medical research estimates that up to 80 percent of men over 80 may have cancerous cells in their prostate glands.
Since confirming his diagnosis in May, Biden has thanked the public for their messages of support and solidarity, saying, “Cancer touches us all.”
The disease has had a personal toll on Biden’s family. His eldest son, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer in 2015, a tragedy that deeply shaped the former president’s advocacy for cancer research and healthcare reform.
