Former president Joe Biden has provided a candid update on his ongoing battle with cancer.
“My doctors continue to be encouraged by how I’ve responded to treatment,” Biden, 83, wrote via X on Sunday, November 8. “Some days are better than others. It hasn’t stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down.”
He continued, “Looking forward, I’m going to keep following what my father told me a long time ago: ‘Champ, when you get knocked down, get up.’ It’s a good lesson for me.”
Biden’s personal office released a statement to CNN on May 18 that detailed his cancer diagnosis. “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” it read. “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”
The statement continued, “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management.”
The former president’s son, Hunter Biden, provided further insight during an August 7 interview with the BBC. “It’s really tough, and that’s the real answer,” Hunter, 56, told the outlet at the time. “My dad, to this day, remains the center of our family not just because of who he is as a public person but completely because of who he is to each one of us. It’s really, really hard and it’s really sad to watch.”
Joe, who served as the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025, added in Sunday’s X post that his presidential memoir, “Promise Me, America,” will be released on Tuesday, November 17.
“I hope you’ll read it. It covers my years as President. The challenges we faced, the decisions I made, and why I made them. It’s about who we are as a nation. What we stand for. And America’s role in the world. More than anything, it’s about my faith in the American people and the great American experiment in self-governance and democracy,” he explained, before adding that his diagnosis was presented while he was writing the memoir.
He also noted that promotional activity ahead of the book’s launch will be limited due to his ongoing health battle. “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 wrote.
Joe concluded, “We are blessed. America is the most unique nation on earth. Unlike other countries, we’re built on an idea. An idea bigger than any ocean. More powerful than any army. Stronger than any tyrant or dictator. That idea? All of us are created equal.”
