‘Some days are better than others’: Joe Biden opens up about cancer battle ahead of memoir release

Former President Joe Biden says his cancer sometimes slows him down and will limit his plans to promote his upcoming memoir, Promise Me, America. In a post on X on Sunday, November 8, Biden said his doctors remain encouraged by his response to treatment. He also shared a personal message about his health and recalled advice from his father.

Biden began his post with an update on the book, which is due out on November 17. He said it covers his four years as president, the challenges his administration faced, the decisions he made and his reasons for those decisions. He also described the memoir as a reflection on America, its role in the world and his faith in the country’s democratic system.

The former president then revealed that he received his cancer diagnosis while he was writing the book.


“My doctors continue to be encouraged by how I’ve responded to treatment,” Biden wrote. “Some days are better than others. It hasn’t stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down.”

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He said the illness would affect his promotional plans.

“What that means is, unfortunately, I won’t be able to do as many conversations about my book as I’d hoped. However, I’m hopeful the words on the page speak for themselves,” he added.

Biden also thanked people who have sent prayers and well wishes to him and his family. He said their support had meant a great deal to him, his wife Jill Biden and their family.

Joe Biden recalls his father's advice

Biden ended his post with a message from his father. He recalled the advice: “Champ, when you get knocked down, get up.”

“It’s a good lesson for me. And for America,” he wrote.

He closed the post with a message about equality and the country's founding ideals. “Promise Me, America, we’ll never forget it,” he wrote.

What is known about Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis?

Biden disclosed his prostate cancer diagnosis in May last year. He addressed the diagnosis in a post on X. “Cancer touches us all,” he wrote. “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.”

His office said in a statement then that he appeared to have a “more aggressive” form of cancer but that it “appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” according to CNN.

In August 2026, his son Hunter spoke about his father's condition in an interview with BBC News. “The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further. It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects,” he said. Hunter also described it as “really sad to watch.”