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- US News. What is prostate cancer? What to know about treatment and surgery after Joe Biden's diagnosis
Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, according to an official statement from his office. Doctors identified a Gleason score of 9, placing the cancer in the highest risk category. The cancer has already metastasized to his bones, marking a challenging stage of the disease. This diagnosis follows the detection of a small nodule during a routine physical, which prompted further investigation.
Biden, now 82, has faced previous health issues involving cancer. While still in office, he had a cancerous lesion removed from his chest in 2023. He also underwent multiple removals of non-melanoma skin cancers before his presidency. This latest diagnosis, however, represents the most severe case so far.
Understanding prostate cancer and its impact
Prostate cancer originates in the prostate gland and is the most common cancer among men in the United States. The National Institutes of Health estimates that over 313,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2025, with more than 35,000 deaths expected. Although prostate cancer typically grows slowly and is often treatable, cases that reach advanced stages, especially with bone metastasis, are more difficult to manage.
The median age for a prostate cancer diagnosis is 68, while the median age of death is 79. Despite a recent annual increase of 1.8% in new cases, death rates have slightly declined, reflecting advances in detection and treatment. Still, experts emphasize the importance of early screening to avoid late-stage diagnoses like Biden's.
What a Gleason score of 9 means
The Gleason score is a grading system used to evaluate how likely prostate cancer is to grow and spread. A score of 9 signals that the cancer cells look very abnormal and are prone to rapid growth. This places Biden in Grade Group 5, the most aggressive form of the disease. While a score like this typically indicates a more serious outlook, it also means that treatment must begin urgently and strategically.
What treatment might look like
Although Biden's medical team has not yet shared a specific treatment plan, options may include hormone therapy, known as androgen deprivation therapy, to block the hormones that fuel cancer growth. Surgery is not usually viable once the disease has spread beyond the prostate. Ongoing monitoring of PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels will be essential to track treatment progress.
The American Cancer Society has used this moment to call for increased awareness and earlier screening efforts, warning of a rise in advanced-stage diagnoses among men in the U.S.