Joe Biden's Heartbreaking Health Diagnosis Couldn't Have Come At A Worse Time

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After some recent red flags in regard to Joe Biden's health, there's been an announcement confirming that Biden "was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone" (via NBC News). For those of us not well-versed in medical terminology, a Gleason score of 9 is on a scale of 10, and it represents a level of cancer that is "most likely to grow and spread quickly," according to the American Cancer Society. There is some hope in the statement that Biden's office released, though, as it noted, "While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management." But it's still got to be a pretty devastating diagnosis to face.

We've already uncovered the heartbreaking details about Joe Biden's life, and now added to that is the unfortunate timing of this diagnosis for the 82-year-old. It comes amidst the revelations from an upcoming book, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again" by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which alleges that Biden's team covered up his failing health to try and secure a presidential win in 2024. The book argues that it was Biden's "decision to run again" that "led to a campaign of denial and gaslighting, leading directly to Donald Trump's return to power and all that has happened as a consequence." So Biden's facing a very real health challenge in the present just as a new book accuses him of previously concealing his medical issues, creating a perfect storm of stress.

Social media has responded to the news that Joe Biden has been diagnosed with cancer. Somewhat unexpectedly given the number of insults that Donald Trump slung at Joe Biden, Trump posted on Truth Social, "We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery." Kamala Harris wrote on X, "Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership."

But along with book authors Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, some critics think that the timing of the announcement is suspicious, alleging that people close to him must have known that he had cancer but just weren't telling people, though there is no evidence at the time to back this up. According to the statement from Joe's office, the cancer was discovered after further investigation of a "prostate nodule" that had been found earlier in May, per NBC News.

In July 2024, Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Harris as his replacement. He largely kept a low profile after leaving office, though he and Jill Biden did attend Pope Francis' funeral in April 2025. He was the keynote speaker at a conference in Chicago not long before that, and he and Jill attended the Broadway opening of "Othello" in March.