Joe Biden begins radiation and hormone therapy after aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis

Former U.S. President Joe Biden, 82, has started a course of external-beam radiation alongside ongoing hormone therapy as part of treatment for prostate cancer diagnosed earlier this year, his office said Saturday.

The cancer, identified in May, is described as aggressive and has metastasized to the bone.

The new phase of care is expected to run roughly five weeks, during which Biden will continue hormone medication that he began soon after his diagnosis. He is said to be tolerating treatment well and remains in good spirits, according to people familiar with his care.

The announcement follows a minor dermatologic procedure in September in which cancerous skin cells were removed from his forehead with Mohs surgery.

Biden stepped down from public office in January 2025 and disclosed his prostate cancer later that spring; aides emphasized that physicians consider the disease hormone-sensitive, a factor that improves the likelihood of response to therapy. Biden’s team offered no changes to his public schedule beyond routine accommodations during treatment.

Sources: Associated Press , Reuters , The Guardian , ABC News , CBS News