Joe Biden, 82, spoke out for the first time since his cancer diagnosis with a social media post on Monday morning.
‘Cancer touches us all,’ the former president wrote on X with a selfie of him sporting a brave smile alongside a sombre-looking former first lady Jill Biden, who was holding their grey tabby cat Willow.
‘Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,’ Biden added. ‘Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.’
Hours after Biden’s personal office disclosed that he was diagnosed with a serious case of prostate cancer on Friday that had spread to his bones, the tweet was made.
A statement on the diagnosis said that the Biden family is deciding on treatment options.
‘Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,’ the statement reads.
‘On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,’ it adds of the grave prognosis.
Prostate cancers are provided a ‘Gleason score,’ which calculates how the cancerous cells look compared with normal cells. Biden’s score of 9 suggests his cancer is among the most aggressive.
‘While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,’ his office noted.
The announcement came just one week after reports revealed that a ‘small nodule’ was found on Biden’s prostate that needed ‘further evaluation.’
It’s common for those of Biden’s advanced age to encounter prostate problems. More than half of prostate cancers are found in men older than 65, according to the American Cancer Society.
A hard lump or swelling that can appear anywhere on the body is called a nodule. Some may be benign and innocuous, while others may be linked to more serious health issues like infections or, in this case, cancer.
President Donald Trump released a short statement to Truth Social on Sunday, saying he and First Lady Melania Trump were ‘saddened to hear’ about Biden’s cancer diagnosis.
‘We wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,’ Trump wrote.
Biden left office as the oldest serving president in U.S. history – he was also elected as the oldest ever person to hold the highest office.
During his time back in the White House, four years after his two terms as VP, Biden reignited his Cancer Moonshot initiative.
Initially put in charge of the effort under President Barack Obama, Biden brought it back in 2022 with the purpose of cutting the cancer death rate in half by 2047. It also aimed to improve the lives of those living with cancer.
Helping to find treatments and cures for cancer hit close to home for Biden – even before his own diagnosis.
The former president’s son, Beau Biden, passed away in 2015 at the age of 46 after he was diagnosed in 2013 with glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive kind of brain cancer. His father claimed the cancer was a consequence of Beau’s exposure to military burn pits when he was serving in Iraq.
May 30 of this year marks the 10th anniversary of Beau’s death.
Biden usually spends that day with his family at his home church, St Joseph on the Brandywine in Wilmington, Delaware, for a special mass and to visit his son’s grave.
In February 2023, Biden had a cancerous lesion removed from his chest, and before entering office, had several non-melanoma skin cancer spots removed with Mohs surgery.
While still president in February 2024, Biden’s doctor declared him ‘fit to serve’ following a routine physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Still questions over the former president’s age, health and fitness for office eventually led him to ditch his reelection campaign and let then-Vice President Kamala Harris, 60, take over.
Leaders within the Democratic Party just recently started to publicly acknowledge that Biden should not have run for reelection in 2024. Some claim that they were duped by advisers who were shielding the then-president from the public and telling members of the party he was healthy and fit behind the scenes.
Harris reacted to news of Biden’s health update by saying she and former second gentleman Doug Emhoff are ‘saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis.’
‘We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time. 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,’ she former VP wrote.
Biden’s office claims the form of cancer he has appears to be hormone sensitive and might be effectively managed by various treatments, including blocking testosterone, because that hormone can help the cancer grow and thrive.
‘The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,’ it states.
There is know doubt that Joe Biden has been sick for a long time. It doesn’t matter now whether he knew he was ill or not; the fact is, he’s not the president anymore, Trump is! Therefore, we should not be criticising him because cancer is a terrible disease, and I feel for anyone who has been diagnosed with it.
They should never allow an older person into office. As people get older, many get sick and cannot perform the tasks that are put before them. It was always apparent from the start that Joe Biden was frail – was he actually in charge? I very much doubt it, but then most of the work that they do is initiated by their advisers.
To be honest, I can’t believe that they allowed Joe Biden to suffer the way that he did while in office. Whether he has dementia or not is irrelevant; he was frail and old, but he was made to play along, and that in itself is indeed appalling.
Despite Joe Biden’s departure from government, the majority of people will still criticise him. People lack empathy, which is the reason behind this. It’s so pointless to chastise him now, so please, everyone, take a pause and show some sympathy.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 