Former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has spread to other parts of his body, causing him pain, Hunter Biden said in a Friday interview.
“It has metastasized to his bones and beyond,” Hunter Biden told a BBC journalist. “It is extremely painful and debilitating in many ways.”
The former president, aged 83, was diagnosed in May 2025 with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his office announced at the time. Last year he underwent surgery to remove skin cancer lesions and completed a course of radiation therapy. His daughter, Ashley Biden, shared a video of Mr. Biden ringing a bell—a tradition patients observe to mark a major treatment milestone.
Despite the diagnosis, Mr. Biden has continued to make public appearances. He recently delivered the keynote address at a fundraiser for the Maryland Democratic Party, which coincided with the two‑year anniversary of a disastrous debate performance that effectively ended his re‑election bid.
“He’s still out there,” Hunter Biden said in the Friday interview. “As long as he’s alive, I promise you, he will keep fighting.”
Prostate cancer usually grows slowly and often affects older men, sometimes remaining asymptomatic for years before diagnosis. Advanced cases frequently spread to the bones, as has occurred with the former president, Jill Biden, his wife and former first lady, noted in a podcast interview this week with talk‑show host Kelly Ripa. Once the cancer reaches the bones, medical experts say it cannot be cured.
Dr. Biden said her husband’s treatment is ongoing.
“He will live with cancer forever,” Dr. Biden said. “It is constant, daily, and I think it presents a continual challenge.”
Mr. Biden, a longtime supporter of cancer research, has already faced family tragedy linked to the disease. His son Beau died in 2015 from glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.
Mr. Biden has endured other health issues, including a brain aneurysm in 1988 that threatened to end his political career.
The former president plans to publish a memoir titled “Promise Me, America” shortly after the November midterm elections.