Former President Joe Biden is beginning radiation and hormone therapy to treat an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his office confirmed Saturday.
“As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment,” a spokesperson for the former president said, according to reporting from NBC News.
The radiation treatment is expected to last five weeks, and he has already begun taking a pill form of hormone medication.
Biden, 82, first disclosed his cancer diagnosis in May, revealing that the disease had spread to his bones. The announcement followed a routine physical in which doctors found a small prostate nodule that required additional testing. His medical team later described the cancer as high-grade, with a Gleason Score of 9 (Grade Group 5) and signs of metastasis.
Last month, Biden also underwent Mohs surgery to remove a form of skin cancer from his forehead. He appeared publicly afterward with a large bandage, and his physician later confirmed that all malignant tissue was successfully removed and no further treatment was necessary.
Biden’s four-year presidency ended in January, when President Donald Trump returned to office after defeating Biden’s chosen successor, Kamala Harris. His final year in power was marked by growing public concern about his health and cognitive sharpness, concerns that came to a head after a widely criticized televised debate that prompted him to withdraw from the 2024 race.
BIDEN UNDERGOES SURGERY ON FOREHEAD TO REMOVE SKIN CANCER LESIONS
At the time of his diagnosis, Biden’s office said he was exploring several treatment options to ensure effective management of the illness.
“Cancer touches us all,” he wrote on X in May. “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.” The former president turns 83 next month.