Former US president Joe Biden will live with cancer for life, his wife says

Former US President Joe Biden will live with prostate cancer for the rest of his life, his wife Jill Biden has stated, noting that while prostate cancer can sometimes be treated successfully, metastasis changes the outlook significantly.

Speaking to Craig Melvin on NBC, she said the illness had spread to his bones, Caliber.Az reports.

She discussed her new book, View From the West Wing: A Memoir, in which she reflects on standing by her husband following a June 2024 debate against Donald Trump that ultimately contributed to his decision to exit the race.

She spoke about her support for Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign, despite what she described as a difficult debate performance in which she feared he may have been experiencing a medical issue.

In May 2025, Biden confirmed that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer and underwent treatment.

When asked whether she would have supported another run if she could revisit the past, she said she would not have wanted him to endure the hardship that followed.

“As I look back, would I want to put Joe through the hurt and the pain that we felt during that time? Never,” she said. “It was so hurtful. It had to be his decision. It had to be his decision alone because he had to live with that decision the rest of his life.”

She noted that shortly after the debate, she publicly described his performance as “great” and said he “answered every question,” even as questions about his cognitive ability intensified in the aftermath.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who later became the Democratic nominee after Biden withdrew, wrote in her memoir 107 Days that she did not believe he stepped aside due to mental “incapacity,” noting the collective stance within the party that it was his personal decision.

She also described the situation in her book, writing: “‘It’s Joe and Jill’s decision.’ We all said that, like a mantra, as if we’d all been hypnotized.”

Joe Biden has rejected claims about cognitive decline, including legal and political scrutiny related to his handling of classified materials and his interactions with investigators. A report by former special counsel Robert Hur referenced concerns about memory lapses, which the White House disputed.

Separately, Biden has faced renewed public discussion of his health following reporting on his cognitive fitness and past incidents, including claims raised in books by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson. He has denied such allegations, saying, “They are wrong,” and adding, “There’s nothing to sustain that.”

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov