Former US President Joe Biden is undergoing radiation therapy and hormone therapy to combat prostate cancer that was revealed in May, a spokesperson said on Saturday.
“As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment,” the spokesperson said.
In May, the 82-year-old former president’s office announced that Biden had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that spread to his bones after he experienced urinary symptoms and a prostate nodule was found.
“Cancer affects us all. Like many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are stronger in the broken places,” Biden, whose son Beau Biden died of cancer in 2015, said at the time in a post on X. “Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”
Biden’s health had been in the spotlight due to a new book detailing his declining health while campaigning last year for a second presidential term against Donald Trump.
In July 2024, Biden announced he was leaving the race after a disastrous debate performance against Trump and endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris for president. He then lost to Trump, who began his second term in January.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men, according to the American Cancer Society. It is particularly common in older people: About 80 percent of men over 80 have some cancer cells in the prostate, research estimates.
While highly treatable if discovered early, it is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, the organization said. Hormone therapy is a common treatment that can shrink tumors and slow cancer growth, but it is not a cure.
Trump, 79, the oldest person ever elected president, underwent his second checkup of the year on Friday and was declared in “excellent overall health” by his doctor.
