Former President Joe Biden said Tuesday that radiation treatment he received last fall for prostate cancer “worked as intended,” and he used the update to press American men to talk to their doctors about screening.
Biden, 83, posted the message to mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, writing that the occasion carries added weight for him after his own diagnosis last year.
“The radiation treatment from last fall worked as intended, and I continue to do the things I care about, like finishing my memoir,” Biden wrote. He also thanked the doctors, nurses and other medical staff who have treated him, saying their “skill, dedication, and compassion mean so much.”
Much of the post was devoted to urging men to raise prostate cancer screening with their doctors, given how much survival odds improve when the disease is caught early.
“Talk to your doctors. Ask the hard questions. Do it for yourself, and do it for the people who love you,” Biden wrote.
He said men at average risk should start talking with doctors about screening around age 50, while Black men and those with a family history of the disease should start those conversations sooner. The American Cancer Society advises discussing screening at 50 for average-risk men, 45 for Black men and certain men with a family history, and 40 for some men at even higher risk.
Biden’s office announced in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. The diagnosis followed worsening urinary symptoms and the discovery of a prostate nodule. His office said the cancer had a Gleason score of 9, Grade Group 5, but was hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management. Biden underwent radiation therapy and finished that course of treatment last fall.
Fox News Digital said it reached out to Biden’s office for further comment on his current health, treatment and prognosis.
Biden closed his message by thanking those who have kept him and his family in their prayers. “It’s my hope and prayer that by sharing our experience and being part of this important conversation, we can help save lives,” he wrote. “And no matter what, keep the faith. God bless you.”
