What is Joe Biden's medical diagnosis?
Asked by: Gerard Adams | Last update: April 28, 2026Score: 5/5 (53 votes)
As news of President Joe Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis captured national attention, media outlets turned to Stanford Urology's own Geoffrey Sonn, MD, for expert insight into the disease, its treatment, and its long-term management.
What is Joe Biden's diagnosis?
“As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment,” a spokesperson said. Biden's office revealed he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease that had spread to his bones in May.
What is the life expectancy after prostate radiation?
Life expectancy after prostate radiation varies widely, depending on cancer risk, age, and overall health, but long-term survival is common, with 10-year survival rates often 80-90%+ for localized cancer, though overall survival dips for higher-risk or older patients due to other causes of death. High-risk patients receiving radiation with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) show strong outcomes, with some studies reporting 10-year prostate cancer-specific survival near 90%.
What were the injuries to Hunter Biden in the car crash?
His mother and younger sister Naomi died in an automobile crash on December 18, 1972. Biden and his older brother Beau were also seriously injured but survived. Beau suffered multiple broken bones while Hunter sustained a fractured skull and severe traumatic brain injuries.
Did Joe Biden pass the bar exam?
Yes, Joe Biden earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Syracuse University College of Law in 1968 and was admitted to the Delaware bar in 1969, indicating he passed the bar exam required for practice, despite graduating in the lower half of his class.
Doctor discusses Biden's cancer diagnosis
When was Beau Biden diagnosed with glioblastoma?
In August 2013, Biden was admitted to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive type of primary brain cancer, after experiencing what White House officials called "an episode of disorientation and weakness".
Can a man live without his prostate?
Yes, you can live a healthy, long life without a prostate, as it's not a vital organ for survival, but removing it (prostatectomy) causes permanent infertility and often leads to significant, though usually manageable, side effects like erectile dysfunction (ED) and urinary incontinence. While many men adapt well, requiring lifestyle changes and treatments, the ability to have biological children is lost, and sexual function changes.
What is the life expectancy of a 75 year old man over?
Indeed, the life expectancy of a 75-year-old American or Canadian man now exceeds 85 years.
How painful is prostate radiation?
The linear accelerator machine may rotate around your body to deliver radiation beams from different directions. You lie still and breathe normally during the treatment. Your radiation therapy team stays nearby in a room with video and audio connections so that you can talk to each other. You shouldn't feel any pain.
What treatment did Joe Biden have for his prostate?
Joe Biden has finished a round of radiation therapy treatment, a spokesperson for the former president confirmed to CBS News.
What is Joe Biden's Gleason score?
Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. Doctors have described it as having a Gleason score of 9, which is used to help understand how serious the cancer is.
Does Joe Biden have any degrees?
Though a poor student, he was class president in his junior and senior years. He graduated in 1961. At the University of Delaware in Newark, Biden briefly played freshman football and received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in history and political science in 1965.
Is it better to remove prostate or radiation?
Both treatments work well. With either treatment, the chance of your cancer spreading is low. Both treatments have side effects, such as bladder, bowel, and erection problems. Radiation therapy is more likely to cause bowel problems.
Which is harder on the body, chemo or radiation?
Chemotherapy generally impacts the whole body, causing systemic side effects like fatigue, nausea, and blood count changes, making it often feel "harder" overall, while radiation is localized, affecting mainly the treated area (skin issues, localized hair loss, swallowing problems) but can still cause fatigue and rare long-term damage, with the overall difficulty depending on treatment specifics and individual health, and sometimes they are used together (chemoradiation).
What is the regret rate for prostate radiation?
Overall, 14.6% expressed treatment decision regret: 8.2% of those whose disease was managed conservatively, 15.0% of those who received surgery, and 16.6% of those who underwent radiotherapy.
What percentage of people live to 83?
Data from the Center for Disease Control United States Life Tables, 2022. Probabilities of survival are own calculation. As we can see from this chart, men have a 50% chance of living to age 83, and women have that same 50% chance of living to age 86.
What body type lives the longest?
Ironically, a phenomenon called "obesity paradox", that is, the overweight population purportedly enjoys the lowest all-cause mortality, and baffles open-minded clinicians and scientists. Lipids are essential to all life forms.
What percent of men live to be 90?
Roughly 14-16% of men in developed countries live to age 90, though figures vary by study and cohort, with healthier habits like not smoking and regular exercise significantly increasing those odds, while factors like high blood pressure or obesity decrease them. Women have a much higher chance, often outnumbering men three to one in the 90+ age group.
Do you need a bag after prostate removal?
Yes, you need a temporary urinary catheter and drainage bag after prostate removal (prostatectomy) for about one to two weeks to allow the bladder and urethra to heal, with a smaller leg bag for daytime use and a larger bag for nighttime, though you do not need a permanent colostomy bag for solid waste.
How does a man pee after prostate surgery?
You pee without a prostate because the bladder connects directly to the urethra, and one of the two natural sphincters (valves) remains to control flow, relying on pelvic floor muscles; however, control is often lost temporarily after prostate removal (prostatectomy) due to nerve/muscle disruption, leading to leakage (incontinence) that usually improves with time, pelvic floor exercises (Kegels), and sometimes medical devices or medications, though some men need permanent solutions like an artificial sphincter.
What actor died of a glioblastoma?
Actress Kelley Mack died at age 33, following a battle with diffuse midline glioma (DMG), a rare and aggressive tumor that affects the central nervous system.
Who is most likely to get glioblastoma?
Age: glioblastoma is most common in people aged 45 to 70. The average age at diagnosis is 64, though it can occur at any age. Gender: men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB) have a slightly higher risk than women.
Has anyone ever recovered from glioblastoma?
Yes, some people do survive glioblastoma (GBM), often exceeding the grim statistics through innovative treatments, clinical trials, and individual resilience, though it remains a very aggressive cancer with a typically short median survival of 15-18 months, with few reaching 5-year survival. Long-term survivors (over 10 years) are rare but increasingly seen, often younger patients or those with unique tumor characteristics, highlighting hope and ongoing medical progress.
Is 72 too old for prostate surgery?
Prostatectomies are common and safe, but like most cancer surgeries, they do have some risks and side effects, so we don't recommended them for all patients. Prostatectomies are typically performed on otherwise healthy patients younger than 75 years old who have localized cancer, or cancer that hasn't spread.