Joe Biden’s Prostate Cancer Battle: Understanding His Gleason 9 Diagnosis

Former President Joe Biden faces a formidable foe in an aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis, marked by a Gleason score of 9 and bone metastasis. His medical team revealed on Sunday that Biden had been grappling with worsening urinary symptoms before the diagnosis. This high-grade cancer, classified as stage 4, is hormone-sensitive, offering a pathway for targeted treatment. While the prognosis is serious, modern therapies provide hope for managing the disease, even if a cure remains elusive.

The Gleason score, a critical tool in assessing prostate cancer, measures how abnormal cancer cells appear under a microscope. A score of 9, like Biden’s, signals a highly aggressive cancer, demanding robust intervention. Dr. Arpeet Shah, a urologist, emphasized that this grading system guides treatment decisions, noting that early screening—such as PSA tests or digital rectal exams—could have caught the disease sooner. Biden and his family are now weighing options with his physicians, focusing on hormone therapies or surgery to halt the cancer’s progression.

Despite the grim stage 4 label, experts highlight that hormone-sensitive cancers can respond well to treatments that suppress testosterone, a fuel for prostate cancer growth. Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist, underscored that while Biden’s cancer won’t be cured, treatments could stabilize it, potentially allowing him to live with no disease progression for years. This diagnosis underscores the importance of regular screenings, a lesson that resonates beyond the former president’s personal battle.