LONDON — Former U.S. President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has spread to his bones and beyond and is causing him significant pain and debilitation, his son Hunter Biden said in a BBC interview broadcast on Friday.
“The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” Hunter Biden said. “It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects.”
Hunter Biden said it was difficult for the family to watch the 83-year-old former president cope with the illness and said he wished his father would be more open about the pain he is experiencing.
“It’s really sad to watch,” Hunter Biden said. “The only thing that I’d say about my dad, about his health right now, is I wish he would complain more, because it’s not good.”
Joe Biden’s personal office announced in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer with metastasis to the bone. The cancer was given a Gleason score of 9, or Grade Group 5, and was described by his office as hormone-sensitive, meaning it could be treated with hormone therapy.
The former president underwent radiation treatment in 2025 and continued hormone therapy, according to reporting at the time. In February, the Washington Post reported that Biden and his aides said he was doing well and that he remained active and engaged despite his metastatic cancer.
Hunter Biden said his father remained publicly involved despite his condition.
“He’s still doing his thing,” Hunter Biden said, adding that Biden continued to speak about issues important to him and “so believes in this country.”
Metastatic prostate cancer commonly spreads to the bones and is generally considered incurable once it has spread, although treatments can control the disease and extend survival. Biden’s office said when the diagnosis was announced that the cancer appeared hormone-sensitive and allowed for effective management.
Biden, a Democrat who served as president from 2021 to 2025, remains active in public life after leaving office. He is also expected to publish a memoir, “Promise Me, America,” after the November 2026 midterm elections, according to the Associated Press.
Hunter Biden’s comments provide the latest public account of the former president’s health. Neither Biden’s personal office nor his doctors have publicly announced a new diagnosis beyond the metastatic prostate cancer disclosed in 2025.
