What does Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis mean for older patients?

Prostate cancer affects one in eight men and is the most common cancer among men in the United States. It’s also a leading cause of cancer-related death among men. On May 18, 2025, former President Joseph Biden’s office announced that his prostate cancer had spread to his bones.

The Gleason score, which refers to how aggressive prostate cancer is, usually ranges from 6 to 10. Biden’s Gleason score was 9, indicating his cancer is aggressive. However, the diagnosis may not be grim, given recent advances in diagnosing and treating prostate cancer.

Drs. Todd Morgan and Tudor Borza, both at University of Michigan Health and Weiser Center for Prostate Cancer, answer questions about the current screening procedures and survival outlooks.

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