Former U.S. president diagnosed with cancer

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a statement from his office. The 82-year-old sought medical attention after experiencing urinary symptoms, which led to the discovery of a nodule on his prostate.

Tests confirmed the presence of cancer on Friday, and further scans revealed it had already spread to his bones. Doctors describe the cancer as aggressive, with a Gleason score of 9, which is near the top of the scale used to measure severity.

Despite its spread, the cancer is hormone-sensitive — a factor that opens the door to treatment options that can help manage the disease, though not cure it. Prostate cancer that metastasizes is significantly harder to treat than when it's localized. However, hormone therapy can slow progression and improve quality of life. Experts say men in this situation are typically treated with medication, rather than surgery or radiation.

Biden’s health had long been a topic of public concern, especially during the final years of his presidency. While he previously battled skin cancer and had a precancerous polyp removed during his time in office, this diagnosis marks his most serious health challenge to date.

Biden made cancer research a cornerstone of his political legacy — most notably through the “Cancer Moonshot” initiative, inspired in part by the death of his son Beau from brain cancer in 2015.