Joe Biden Has Probably Had Cancer For Many Years

Joe Biden was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer on May 16, 2025, following the discovery of a small nodule on his prostate after he reported urinary symptoms. Determining exactly how long he has had the cancer is challenging, as prostate cancer can develop slowly over years before becoming detectable. Given the cancer’s advanced stage—characterized by a Gleason score of 9 and metastasis to the bone—it’s likely that the cancer has been present for several years, potentially predating his presidency. Prostate cancer often progresses asymptomatically in its early stages, and experts note that aggressive cancers with high Gleason scores can take years to reach metastatic stages. Without earlier screenings indicating abnormalities, it’s plausible the cancer began developing in the mid-2010s or earlier, though this is speculative based on typical prostate cancer progression timelines.
 
Biden’s medical history provides some context but no definitive timeline. Routine health screenings during his presidency, including a colonoscopy in 2021 that removed a benign polyp and a skin cancer removal in 2023, showed no signs of prostate cancer at those times. His physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, reported normal prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in prior physicals, suggesting the cancer may not have been detectable until recently. However, PSA tests can miss aggressive cancers, and symptoms like urinary issues, which prompted the 2025 diagnosis, often appear only in advanced stages. The cancer’s hormone-sensitive nature and bone metastasis indicate it progressed significantly before detection, possibly over 5-10 years, aligning with studies showing metastatic prostate cancer can develop over a decade from initial cellular changes.
 
The lack of public disclosure about earlier prostate issues suggests Biden’s cancer went undetected until symptoms emerged in 2025. Risk factors like age—Biden is 82—and family history (his son Beau died of glioblastoma) may have increased his susceptibility, but they don’t pinpoint onset. Posts on X and web reports speculate wildly about Biden’s health, some claiming long-term illness without evidence, but these lack credibility. Medical experts, like those cited in recent articles, emphasize that metastatic prostate cancer often reflects years of undetected growth. Thus, while Biden’s diagnosis is recent, the cancer likely originated years ago, possibly in the late 2010s, progressing silently until it reached an advanced, detectable stage in 2025.