Joe Biden cancer update: Disease spreads further despite treatment, son says it is ‘very painful’ and debilitating

Former US President Joe Biden's prostate cancer has spread beyond his bones despite treatment, his son Hunter Biden said in a BBC interview, providing a new update on the health of the 83-year-old former president.

In May 2025, about four months after leaving office as the oldest sitting US president, Biden revealed that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.

Biden undergoing cancer treatment

Biden subsequently began treatment, including radiation and hormone therapy. The 83-year-old said last month that his treatment was going "really well" while announcing his upcoming memoir.


However, in a wide-ranging interview published late Friday with BBC Newsnight, Hunter Biden said his father's cancer had spread despite the treatment.

"The cancer has spread, is metastasized into his bones and further," Biden said.

"It's very painful, and it's very debilitating in many respects, but he's still out there. He's still doing his thing...he so believes in this country."

Hunter Biden appeared emotional at times while discussing his father's health.

"It's really, really hard, and it's really sad to watch," he added.

Biden's 2024 presidential campaign

Biden faced persistent questions about his health during his presidency, particularly as he was the oldest-ever US president.

Despite those concerns, Biden, then 81, decided to seek a second term in the 2024 presidential election.

However, following a poor debate performance against Donald Trump in June 2024 and growing pressure from Democrats, Biden withdrew from the presidential race.

Trump subsequently defeated Biden's replacement candidate, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, in the election.