Former President Joe Biden on Monday morning released his first statement about his cancer diagnosis.
“Cancer touches us all,” Biden wrote in a post on X, alongside a photo of himself with former first lady Jill Biden and their cat Willow. “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”
Biden’s statement comes the day after his office revealed that he was diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer on Friday. The cancer, which has spread to Biden’s bones, “appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management,” his office said.
The 82-year-old and his family are “reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” his office added.
The statement said that the former president’s diagnosis is characterized by a Gleason score of nine “(Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”
The Gleason scale measures how aggressive individual cases of prostate cancer are, and how likely the cells are to spread. Simply put, Biden has a particularly high-grade form of the disease.
The maximum grade is 10. Biden’s high grade, coupled with metastasis already having begun, suggests a poorer prognosis.
However, survival rates vary depending on specific circumstances. One European study of men with a Gleason score of nine put the figure as high as 74 percent over 10 years.
John Hopkins Medicine stresses that prostate cancer is common and often treatable.
However, Dr. Curtiland Deville Jr., from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty, said on CNN’s Early Start With Rahel Solomon that Biden’s condition is “certainly treatable, but not curable.”
On Biden’s possible survival rate, he added: “So the five-year survival for men who are diagnosed, you know, are metastatic at the time of diagnosis is only about 30 to 40 percent. About a third of men will be alive in five years.”
President Donald Trump managed to keep it civil after his predecessor revealed his diagnosis.
“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis,” adding: “We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” he wrote in a message on his Truth Social platform Sunday.
His son Don Jr. went in another direction, suggesting that Biden’s condition had long been known by his close circle and by the Democratic Party. “What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer or is this yet another coverup???” he wrote on X, hours after Sunday’s announcement.
Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a brief statement: “Jeanette and I are united in prayer for the Biden Family during this difficult time.”
“This is certainly sad news, and the Johnson family will be joining the countless others who are praying for the former President in the wake of his diagnosis,” House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X.
Sen. Rick Scott, however, joined MAGA commentators in speculating about the timing of the cancer announcement.
During an appearance Monday morning on Fox & Friends, he said: “Well, first off, you know, I hope he gets over this but it doesn’t make sense.
“We all get, you know, PSA tests and so it’s hard to believe that this... I hope he gets better,” the Florida Republican added, appearing to purposely not expand on his point. “It doesn’t seem to make much sense that they wouldn’t know it.”
British journalist and media personality Piers Morgan said he would be blocking anyone he saw playing “partisan politics with Joe Biden’s health news.”
“I’m going to block anyone I see - and there’s already a lot of this vile crap flying around - mocking, celebrating, or playing partisan politics with Joe Biden’s health news.
“The man has served his country for 50yrs and is fighting for his life. Show some bloody respect,” he wrote on X Sunday.
Biden’s old running mate and eventual successor for the 2024 White House bid Kamala Harris called him a “fighter.”
“Doug [Emhoff] and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis. We are keeping him, Dr. [Jill] Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time,” she wrote on X.
“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. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”
Barack Obama, whom Biden served with as vice president for two terms, hailed Biden’s track record for fighting cancer in different ways. In Barack and Michelle Obama’s joint post, the former president said: “Michelle and I are thinking of the entire Biden family. Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace. We pray for a fast and full recovery.”
