What medical diagnosis does Joe Biden have?

Asked by: Obie Turcotte  |  Last update: April 4, 2026
Score: 4.9/5 (39 votes)

In May, Biden's postpresidential office announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and that it had spread to his bone. The discovery came after he reported urinary symptoms. Prostate cancers are graded for aggressiveness using what is known as a Gleason score.

What is the Biden cancer update?

President Joe Biden has completed his course of radiation therapy for prostate cancer, which he recently marked by ringing the ceremonial bell alongside his radiation oncology care team.

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.

What is Joe Biden's stage 4 diagnosis?

Metastatic cancer, which Biden has, means that it has spread from where it started to another part of the body – in his case, from the prostate to the bone. It's also known as Stage 4 cancer. Somebody Biden's age wouldn't normally be screened for prostate cancer.

Doctor discusses Biden's cancer diagnosis

45 related questions found

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. 

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?

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 is the number one symptom of brain cancer?

Some of the first signs of a brain tumor may include:

  • Headaches. ...
  • Nausea or vomiting, especially with headaches.
  • Changes in mood or behavior. ...
  • Problems thinking clearly, remembering things or focusing.
  • Trouble speaking or finding the right words.
  • Seizures.

What is the new virus that kills cancer?

Yes, new viruses are being developed and tested to kill cancer cells, a field known as oncolytic virotherapy, using modified viruses (like herpes or plant viruses) that infect and destroy cancer cells while activating the immune system to fight the cancer throughout the body. Recent advancements include the modified herpes virus RP1 showing promise in trials, plant virus CPMV training the immune system, and novel bacterial-viral systems like CAPPSIDE for targeted delivery, with ongoing research focusing on effectiveness and safety for various cancers.
 

What is the deadliest brain cancer in the world?

The deadliest brain cancer is Glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive and fast-growing tumor that forms in the brain or spinal cord, known for its poor prognosis, often with a median survival of only around 12-15 months despite treatment. It's the most common and lethal primary brain cancer in adults, difficult to treat due to its rapid spread and the blood-brain barrier, with standard care including surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
 

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).
 

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.

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 is the average age of a male before he dies?

The average age of death for men varies globally, but in the U.S., life expectancy for males at birth was 75.8 years in 2023, an increase from previous years, though still lower than for females. Globally, life expectancy for men ranges from around 70.8 (Central African Republic) to over 84 (Monaco, Hong Kong) years, with many developed nations showing much higher averages than the U.S.
 

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 is the downside of having your prostate removed?

The main downsides of prostate removal (radical prostatectomy) are urinary incontinence (difficulty controlling urine) and erectile dysfunction (ED), both common due to nerve and muscle disruption, though they often improve over time with recovery and physical therapy, with potential for infertility also being a significant outcome as semen production stops. Other risks include infection, bleeding, blood clots, pain, and rare injury to nearby organs like the rectum or intestines, plus potential narrowing of the urethra. 

Did Michelle Obama pass the bar exam?

Yes, Michelle Obama did pass the Illinois bar exam, but she failed it on her first attempt after graduating from Harvard Law School before passing it on her second try, later becoming a licensed attorney in Illinois and having a successful legal career before becoming First Lady. She was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1989 and went on to work in intellectual property law at a firm where she met her husband, Barack Obama.
 

What degree does Kamala Harris have?

She graduated in 1986 with a degree in political science and economics. Harris then attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, where she served as president of its chapter of the Black Law Students Association. She graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1989.

What was Joe Biden's GPA?

Joe Biden had a modest GPA in undergrad at the University of Delaware, reportedly around a 1.9 for a semester and mostly Cs and Ds initially, but improved later; in law school at Syracuse, he started in the bottom two-thirds but finished in the top half and won a moot court competition, graduating with a JD on scholarship. 

What organ is chemo hard on?

In some cases, chemotherapy can cause long-term problems for the heart, lungs, nerves, kidneys and reproductive or other organs. Further, certain types of chemotherapy may have delayed effects, such as a second cancer, that develop many years later.