Hunter Biden has shared an update on his father, former U.S. President Joe Biden, as he continues treatment for stage 4 prostate cancer.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Newsnight released on August 7, Hunter described the experience of watching his father live with advanced cancer.
“Cancer is really hard. It’s really sad to watch.”
Hunter said the cancer has metastasized to the bones and described the disease as “very painful” and “very debilitating.” He also said his father rarely complains despite what he is going through. He said:
“The only thing that I say about my dad, about his health right now, is I wish he would complain more”
He added that Joe Biden remains at the center of the family, describing him as a devoted father, husband and grandfather.
Hunter also reflected his father’s resilience, saying he was most proud of Joe Biden’s ability to recover from difficult moments.
“He is the toughest man I know.”
Joe Biden’s Prostate Cancer Diagnosis
Joe Biden’s diagnosis was publicly announced in May 2025, when he was 82. He had been evaluated after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms, and doctors identified a prostate nodule that required further investigation.
His office said that although the disease represented an aggressive form of prostate cancer, it appeared to be hormone-sensitive, meaning treatments that suppress or block androgen signaling could be used to help control the disease.
Hunter’s latest comments that the cancer has spread to the bones “and further” did not include details about any additional sites of disease.
For the full story of Biden’s original diagnosis, read
Joe Biden Diagnosed with Aggressive Metastatic Prostate Cancer at Age 82
Biden’s Cancer Treatment
In October 2025, Biden’s spokesperson confirmed that he was receiving radiation therapy together with hormone treatment for prostate cancer. He completed a course of radiation therapy later that month at Penn Medicine Radiation Oncology in Philadelphia.
More recently, Jill Biden has also spoken about the continuing impact of her husband’s diagnosis. In an August 2026 interview, she described cancer as an ongoing, daily challenge while saying that the former president was “doing OK.”
Metastatic prostate cancer is treated as a systemic disease and often requires long-term therapy. When prostate cancer remains hormone-sensitive, androgen-directed treatments can provide meaningful disease control, although bone metastases can contribute to symptoms including pain and can significantly affect quality of life.
Want to learn more about prostate cancer?
Join Prosto 2026 – Global Virtual Congress on Prostate Cancer, organized by OncoDaily, bringing together leading experts to discuss the latest advances in prostate cancer research, diagnosis, treatment, and care.
Explore Prosto 2026 and stay connected with the latest developments in prostate cancer.
