Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer, and he and his family are reviewing treatment options, his office said on May 18.
The 82-year-old Biden was diagnosed on May 16 after experiencing urinary symptoms, the statement said.
"Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9...with metastasis to the bone," the statement read.
"While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management," his office added.
Biden, who served eight years as vice president under President Barack Obama and won election over Donald Trump in 2020 for the presidency, declined to run for reelection after receiving criticism for a poor debate -- characterized by apparent memory losses -- against Trump during the election campaign.
His presidential term ended on January 20, when Trump took office after his victory over Kamala Harris, who had been Biden’s vice president.
Trump, who has often issued personal insults against Biden, on May 18 said he and first lady Melania were "saddened to hear about Joe Biden's recent medical diagnosis."
Harris wrote that "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."
Obama wrote that "Michelle and I are thinking of the entire Biden family. ...I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace."
According to AP, prostate cancers are given a Gleason score that measures how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells, ranking from 1 to 10. Biden’s score of 9 suggests his cancer is among the most aggressive.
Metastasized cancer is much more difficult to treat than cancer that is localized as it can be hard for drugs to reach all tumors and completely eliminate the disease.
Still, in Biden's diagnoses, the cancers require hormones to grow, meaning it can be susceptible to treatment that deprives the tumors of those hormones.
