Hunter Biden says Joe Biden's prostate cancer is causing pain

Hunter Biden said his father’s prostate cancer is causing him pain, even as Joe Biden continued to speak publicly and remain visible in national politics. The remark adds a family voice to a health story that has already drawn scrutiny because it involves a former president whose public presence still carries institutional and political weight.

Joe Biden’s office announced in May 2025 that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer described as a Gleason score of 9, Grade Group 5. Doctors found the disease after Biden sought care for urinary symptoms and a nodule was discovered on his prostate. NBC News later reported that the cancer had spread to Biden’s bones, and AP and other outlets said it had spread to other parts of his body as well.

The medical detail matters because specialists have described a Gleason 9 diagnosis as highly aggressive. Gerald Denis, a prostate cancer researcher at Boston University’s Shipley Prostate Cancer Research Center, said, “The pathologists’ interpretation of President Biden’s cancer (Gleason 9) is that it appears to be highly aggressive. This is not encouraging news.” Boston University also noted that when prostate cancer metastasizes to bone, it is generally considered advanced.

ABC News reported on October 11, 2025, that Biden was undergoing radiation therapy as part of his treatment plan. That detail, combined with the bone metastasis disclosures, has kept the focus on how seriously the illness could affect Biden’s day-to-day stamina and his ability to appear in public settings where former presidents are often expected to remain accessible and responsive.

Hunter Biden’s comments also sharpen the line between a private medical condition and a public accountability question. A son speaking about his father’s pain can humanize a diagnosis, but in the case of a former president it also invites renewed attention to transparency, treatment, and whether public appearances are being shaped by illness. ZERO Prostate Cancer issued a statement on Biden’s diagnosis, underscoring how the disclosure quickly moved beyond one family and into a broader public-health conversation.

For Biden, the illness now sits at the intersection of family advocacy and public office. His continued visibility keeps the diagnosis in view, while Hunter Biden’s description of pain makes clear that the effects are being felt far beyond the clinic.