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Former US President Joe Biden has started a five-week course of radiation therapy as part of his treatment for an aggressive form of prostate cancer diagnosed earlier this year. The 82-year-old, who also underwent surgery in September to remove cancerous cells from his skin, is receiving radiation and hormone therapy under close medical supervision, his office confirmed.

“As part of a treatment plan for prostate cancer, President Biden is currently undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment,” a spokesperson for Biden said, according to Bloomberg. “The treatment is expected to continue for approximately five weeks.”

Biden’s condition was first made public in May, when his office revealed that the cancer had spread to his bones and was hormone sensitive — meaning it could respond to hormone therapy that blocks testosterone from reaching cancer cells.

The American Cancer Society explains that radiation therapy in cases of advanced prostate cancer can help control the disease for extended periods and reduce symptoms caused by bone metastases.

Doctors first identified the issue after Biden reported urinary symptoms, which led to the discovery of a prostate nodule. “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places,” Biden said in May on X (formerly Twitter), referencing the loss of his son Beau Biden to cancer in 2015.

The former president’s health has remained under close public scrutiny, particularly following the release of a book that raised concerns about his physical decline during his 2024 re-election campaign.

In July 2024, after a debate performance against Donald Trump drew widespread criticism, Biden announced he was withdrawing from the race and endorsed then–Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris later lost to Trump, who assumed office for a second term in January 2025.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men and the second leading cause of cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. While it is often treatable when detected early, it is particularly prevalent in older men, studies suggest that around 80% of men over 80 may have cancerous cells in their prostate.