Former US President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has spread to his bones and is causing him severe pain and debilitating symptoms, his son Hunter Biden said in a BBC interview on Friday.
“It’s not good. The cancer has spread. It’s metastasized into his bones and further,” Hunter Biden said, reports CBS.
“It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects.”
The former president has not made a public appearance since June, and Hunter said the situation has been extremely difficult for the family.
“It’s really really hard and it’s really sad to watch,” he said.
Biden’s personal office announced his cancer diagnosis in May 2025. The 83-year-old former president began treatment in Philadelphia for what his office described as an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
Michael Dabrow, medical director of the Cancer Center at Paoli Hospital, said prostate cancer is among the most common cancers affecting men and can spread beyond the prostate, particularly to the bones.
“Unfortunately, a large section of patients who have prostate cancer, that starts out in the prostate can travel to other areas, and bones are by far the most common area it goes to,” Dabrow said. “So even with good local treatment, sometimes those tumors escape from the prostate and go to the bones.”
Dabrow said cancer can continue to spread to other parts of the body even when patients receive the best available treatments.
However, treatment options remain available for patients whose prostate cancer has reached the bones. These include therapeutic radiation, which can circulate through the body and help ease discomfort.
Dabrow also urged men, particularly as they grow older, to discuss prostate cancer screening with their doctors to determine whether it is appropriate for them and to improve the chances of detecting the disease early.
“There’s no tumor, like no tumor,” Dabrow said.
People have also been expressing their support for Biden and his family. Emily Payne, who said she was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer herself, spoke about the impact of the disease on families.
“It takes its toll on the whole family,” Payne said. “So, that’s why I think we can only have the best intentions and thoughts for his whole family during this time.”
“It’s horrible. Just that whole situation wishing him well and hope he is doing alright,” Sam Pendrak said.
