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Former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has spread to his bones and other parts of his body and is causing significant pain, his son Hunter Biden said in a new interview.
Hunter Biden became emotional while discussing his father’s health during a wide-ranging interview Friday with BBC News, describing the former president’s condition as painful and debilitating.
“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.”
Biden, 83, was the oldest person to serve as president and faced persistent scrutiny over his age and health during his four years in office. Questions about his physical and mental fitness intensified after his poor performance in a June 2024 debate against President Donald Trump ultimately contributed to Biden ending his reelection campaign.
Biden’s cancer diagnosis
Biden’s office announced his prostate cancer diagnosis in May 2025, less than four months after he left the White House.
At the time, his office said the cancer had a Gleason score of 9, placing it in Grade Group 5, the most aggressive category of prostate cancer.
The former president later underwent radiation treatment for the disease. His office also announced in September 2025 that Biden had surgery to remove skin cancer using Mohs surgery, a procedure in which layers of cancerous tissue are removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains.
The progression of Biden’s prostate cancer had not previously been publicly described in such detail by his family.
Hunter Biden’s comments offer the latest account of the former president’s condition, although the family has not released additional medical information detailing the cancer’s current progression.
Family says diagnosis was a shock
Former first lady Jill Biden previously said the cancer diagnosis came as a shock to the family.
“Honestly, I can remember getting the diagnosis, and it was just shocking,” Jill Biden said in a May 2026 interview with CBS News.
She also said doctors had not identified the cancer while Biden was president.
Jill Biden pointed to guidance from the American Urological Association regarding PSA screening for older men and said she believed the former president had received excellent medical care while in the White House.
“I do feel we had amazing care in the White House, but somehow that was missed,” she said.
The timing of Biden’s diagnosis has fueled renewed questions about how thoroughly his health was monitored while he was president, particularly amid broader concerns about his age and physical condition.
Hunter Biden says his father remains active
Hunter Biden said watching his father deal with the disease has been difficult for the family.
“It’s really sad to watch,” he 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.”
Despite his illness, Hunter Biden said the former president remains engaged in public life and continues to speak about issues he considers important.
“He’s still doing his thing,” Hunter Biden said. “He so believes in this country.”
Biden has largely remained out of the political spotlight since leaving office, although he has continued making public appearances and comments on issues involving his administration and the Democratic Party.
Biden plans memoir after midterms
The former president is also preparing to publish a memoir, “Promise Me, America,” after the 2026 midterm elections.
The book is expected to cover Biden’s political career and his time in the White House, including his decision to end his 2024 reelection campaign.
Biden’s health became a defining political issue during the final months of his presidency, particularly after his debate performance against Trump prompted Democratic lawmakers, donors and voters to question whether he could continue campaigning.
His decision to withdraw from the race ultimately cleared the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee, though Trump went on to win the November election.
For Biden’s family, however, the focus has increasingly shifted from the political consequences of his age to the personal challenges posed by his cancer diagnosis.
Hunter Biden’s latest comments provide a more somber picture of the former president’s condition as he continues treatment and remains involved in public life.
