Joe Biden’s prostate cancer is affecting his ability to maintain a full schedule, the former US president has revealed, announcing that he will scale back promotional appearances for his upcoming memoir, Promise Me, America, scheduled for release on November 17.
Biden, who was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer in May 2025, shared a personal update on November 8, acknowledging the challenges of living with the disease while expressing optimism about his response to treatment.
“Some days are better than others. It hasn’t stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down,” Biden wrote in a statement shared on X.
He explained that he would not be able to participate in as many conversations about his book as originally planned, expressing hope that the memoir would speak for itself.
Despite these limitations, Biden said his doctors remain encouraged by how he has responded to treatment and thanked the many people who have supported him and his family since his diagnosis.
Joe Biden’s Prostate Cancer Journey: From Diagnosis to Treatment
Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis was first made public in May 2025, just months after he left the White House.
Following increasing urinary symptoms and the identification of a prostate nodule, further investigations revealed an aggressive form of prostate cancer with a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5). The disease had already spread to his bones at the time of diagnosis.
However, his medical team reported that the cancer appeared to be hormone-sensitive, an important clinical characteristic that allows for treatment with therapies targeting androgen signaling.
OncoDaily previously covered the details of his diagnosis in Joe Biden Diagnosed with Aggressive Metastatic Prostate Cancer at Age 82.
In October 2025, Biden underwent radiation therapy alongside hormone treatment. Nearly a year later, during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September 2026, he shared an encouraging update, reporting that the radiation treatment had worked as intended and helped his medical team control the disease.
At the time, he emphasized that he was continuing activities important to him, including completing his memoir.
Living With Advanced Cancer: The Challenges Beyond Treatment
Biden’s latest statement draws attention to an important reality of cancer care: a positive response to treatment does not necessarily mean that patients can immediately return to their previous routines.
For people living with metastatic prostate cancer, managing the disease can involve ongoing treatment, regular medical appointments, and changes to everyday activities. Cancer-related symptoms and treatment-related side effects can affect physical functioning and quality of life, even when the disease is responding to therapy.
Biden has not disclosed new clinical findings or detailed the specific symptoms responsible for limiting his public appearances.
His family’s earlier comments, however, have offered a more personal picture of his experience.
In August 2026, his son Hunter Biden spoke publicly about watching his father live with advanced cancer. During an interview with BBC Newsnight, he described the disease as painful and debilitating and said that his father rarely complained about the difficulties he was experiencing.
The latest update highlights a distinction familiar to many patients with advanced cancer: controlling the disease and maintaining quality of life are related, but separate, goals of treatment.
From the Cancer Moonshot to His Own Cancer Diagnosis
For Biden, cancer has long been more than a public health issue.
In 2015, he lost his eldest son, Beau Biden, to brain cancer at the age of 46. That experience became central to his commitment to cancer research and patient advocacy.
In 2016, Biden helped launch the Cancer Moonshot initiative, seeking to accelerate progress in cancer research and improve outcomes for patients. During his presidency, the initiative was renewed with ambitious goals, including reducing the age-adjusted cancer death rate in the United States by at least 50% over 25 years.
OncoDaily previously explored the personal story behind that commitment in Why President Biden Values Cancer Research So Much: The Story Behind Cancer Moonshot.
More than a decade after his son’s death, Biden is now confronting cancer from a different perspective: as a patient himself.
His upcoming memoir, Promise Me, America, primarily reflects on his four years in the White House, the decisions he made, and the challenges his administration faced. Yet its publication arrives during a deeply personal chapter of his life.
In his November 9 statement, Biden acknowledged the support of his wife, Jill, their family, and the many people who have reached out since his diagnosis. He also recalled his father’s advice about getting back up after difficult moments.
As he prepares to release his memoir, Biden’s message reflects both determination and the practical limitations that can accompany cancer treatment.
For the wider cancer community, his experience offers a reminder that living with cancer is not defined by treatment results alone, but also by the ability to maintain everyday activities, personal goals, and quality of life.
Read further on OncoDaily: Joe Biden Raises Prostate Cancer Awareness, Urges Men to Discuss Screening With Their Doctors
