Former President Joe Biden’s recent prostate cancer diagnosis has triggered a flurry of questions—not just about his current health, but about how such a serious condition could have gone unnoticed in one of the most scrutinized figures on the planet. As more details emerge, medical professionals are painting a picture of a diagnosis that is statistically rare, medically complex, and politically charged.
According to Biden’s team, a nodule discovered on his prostate led to the diagnosis of an aggressive cancer that has already spread to his bones. Though prostate cancer is extremely common among older men—especially those over 65—cases where the disease has already metastasized at diagnosis account for only about 8% of total diagnoses, according to the American Cancer Society.
Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer for the ACS, was blunt in his assessment: “We definitely would anticipate that he has had prostate cancer for many, many years.” The implication is that this is not a sudden development, but the result of an undetected and untreated condition spanning years.
A doctor on CBS says Biden’s aggressive prostate cancer went undetected because he’s too old and they stopped screening.
He was the President. They are now attempting to cover up.. the cover up:
“He’s 82. Doctors stop screening for prostate cancer at 75.. After that, the… pic.twitter.com/kPVQ26omgW
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 20, 2025
That timeline is important. Stage 4 prostate cancer doesn’t materialize overnight. Multiple oncologists agree that metastasis to the bone usually takes at least five years, often longer. Which begs the question: Was Biden ever screened?
It’s not clear whether Biden received regular screenings. His 2024 physical exam made no mention of a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, and while that omission wouldn’t be unusual for someone in their 80s under current U.S. guidelines, it adds to the uncertainty. His 2019 exam noted an enlarged prostate, but did not find cancer.
Dr. David Shusterman, a veteran New York urologist, said the presentation of bone metastasis in someone who saw a urologist annually is rare to the point of being unheard of. “I’ve been doing this 25 years and I’ve never had a patient like that,” he said.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force currently recommends men between 55 and 69 discuss screenings with their doctor, but has historically advised against screening older men. That policy has been criticized as outdated, especially as people live longer, healthier lives well into their 80s.
Despite the late-stage diagnosis, Biden’s outlook isn’t necessarily bleak. Hormone therapies that lower testosterone—a key fuel for prostate cancer—are highly effective for many patients. According to Dr. Peter Nelson of Fred Hutch Cancer Center, “patients like Biden have a more than 90% chance of responding to therapies” initially, often for several years before resistance develops.
Additional options include chemotherapy, radiation, and clinical trial drugs, often layered with hormone therapy. Some patients, like Rick Gum—diagnosed with bone metastases in 2018—have lived well beyond the five-year survival marker, with good quality of life.
