Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the U.S. after skin cancer, and can often be treated successfully, according to the American Cancer Society.
That could also be paired with chemotherapy, which is typically used only in advanced prostate cancer.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates there will be about 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. in 2025, and about 35,770 deaths.
“If you screened a population of patients for prostate cancer in their 80s, you would be … adding unwarranted worry to those patients,” he said.
“We’ve made major gains in prostate cancer care in the metastatic space over the past 10 years and really extended life,” he says.
Joe Biden’s office revealed on Sunday that the former president has been diagnosed with “aggressive” prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. However, it stated that the cancer seems to be hormone-sensitive, “allowing for effective management.”. “.
The most prevalent cancer among men in the United States is prostate cancer. A. The American Cancer Society states that it is frequently successfully treated after skin cancer.
Its overall five-year survival rate is 97%; however, in cases where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, that figure drops to 37%.
Doctor. “Biden has a very bad version of it, probably the worst version you can get,” urology professor Ben Davies of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine said on NPR’s Morning Edition. “.
In order to determine how quickly the cancer cells can grow, tissues are examined under a microscope as part of the most widely used grading system for prostate cancer, known as the Gleason score (small, closely packed cells get lower grades). On a scale of 6 to 10, cancers with a score of 8 or higher are considered high-risk.
The Gleason score for Biden is nine, according to his office.
Davies claims that the former president has some good options in front of him, even though he is unsure of the precise nature of Biden’s condition.
Among these are hormonal therapies, such as injections, to lower his body’s testosterone levels, which will cause the cancer to “stop growing quite as fast and can almost melt away from the bones.”. “,”.
Chemotherapy, which is usually reserved for advanced prostate cancer, could also be combined with that. Radiation therapy, a third choice, “has been proven to extend life in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer,” according to Davies. “..”.
According to Davies, “it’s not all doom and gloom, to be honest.”. “He can easily survive this illness for ten years. “.”.
According to Biden’s office, he and his physicians are discussing treatment alternatives. According to Davies, Biden’s age of 82 does not necessarily restrict the options available.
He asserts, “It’s not really an age-specific thing,”. “The physiology and his ability to tolerate the treatments he is receiving are more important. “,”.
However, he did point out that some possible drugs might “increase some of the frailty aspects of life.”. During and after his tenure in office, Biden’s physical and mental health have come under close scrutiny, and concerns about the former president’s age and health finally forced him to drop his 2024 reelection campaign.
In his initial remarks to the public on Monday, Biden wrote that “cancer touches us all” and thanked everyone for their support. “.”.
His tweet included a selfie of the couple with their cat and the caption, “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places.”.
How common is cancer of the prostate?
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), there will be roughly 313,780 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States. A. approximately 35,770 deaths in 2025.
Biden’s diagnosis, according to a statement, serves as a “reminder about the tragic impact of prostate cancer in the US, where approximately one in eight men will be diagnosed over their lifetime.”. “,”.
“It is the second leading cause of cancer death in men although it is a highly survivable disease when caught in early stages,” it continued.
Although the prostate cancer death rate dropped by roughly half between 1993 and 2022, the American Cancer Society reports that the rate has slowed recently, most likely due to an increase in cancers discovered later in the disease’s progression.
In the meantime, it claims that since 2014, the annual number of cases diagnosed has grown by 3% annually.
What can they do and who is in danger?
Family history, age, and race are risk factors for prostate cancer. It typically manifests after the age of 50 and is more common in Black and Caribbean men of African descent than in men of other races. According to the ACS, men over 65 account for roughly 60% of all prostate cancer cases.
There are differing recommendations regarding when men should discuss prostate cancer with their doctor, and screening for the disease usually entails a digital rectal examination and a blood test.
According to the American Cancer Society, if a person has more than one first-degree relative who had prostate cancer at a young age, they should be 40, if they are at average risk, 50, or 45 if they are at high risk.
The U. S. Most men over the age of 55 should not have regular prostate cancer screenings, according to the Preventive Services Task Force, which advises men between the ages of 55 and 69 to do so.
According to Davies, that’s partly because the majority of prostate cancers discovered at that age are indolent, meaning they grow slowly and don’t hurt much.
“You would be … adding unwarranted worry to those patients if you screened a population of patients for prostate cancer in their 80s,” he stated. I would therefore discuss the benefits and drawbacks of screening with your primary care physician. “..”.
What is the current state of cancer research?
According to Davies, during the past ten years, research has made major strides in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
He claims that over the past ten years, “we’ve made major gains in prostate cancer care in the metastatic space and really extended life.”.
Years before he was diagnosed, Biden was a personal advocate for the cause of cancer, having lost his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015.
In his capacity as vice president, Biden oversaw the Cancer Moonshot program, which pooled federal funds to advance cancer research in an effort to “eliminate cancer as we know it,” with the goal of lowering the cancer death rate by at least 50% in 25 years. As president, he revived the initiative in 2022 with the aim of “achieving ten years’ worth of advancements in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in five years.”. “,”.
Researchers claim that the Trump administration’s restrictions on federal funding for scientific research, including funding freezes, rule changes, and job cuts, are making it more difficult to combat diseases like cancer.
In comparison to the same period in 2024, the White House reduced cancer research by 31% in the first three months of this year, according to a report issued last week by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
“I sincerely hope that our science institutions will continue to receive careful and strong funding, as this is the only way we will make progress in the treatment of prostate cancer,” declared Davies. And that will open the path for those who will contract the president’s illness in the future. “.”.
