Jill Biden said Monday that her husband, former president Joe Biden, "will live with cancer for the rest of his life," offering one of the clearest public updates yet on the 83-year-old's health. She described him as "doing OK" and cast the diagnosis as something to be managed over time rather than cured outright. Her remarks add an unmistakably personal layer to a medical story that has played out in public over the past year.
She made the comments on NBC's "Today" while promoting her memoir, in an interview later summarized by ABC10. Jill Biden told the host that because the cancer had spread to his bones "that makes it a whole different story," and said it will be something he lives with. The appearance comes as the Bidens try to juggle treatment, public events and the rollout of her book.
Medical timeline and diagnosis
Biden's team disclosed in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones, shifting the outlook toward long-term management rather than cure, according to The Washington Post. His office said the tumor appears hormone-sensitive, which gives doctors options to slow its growth and manage symptoms. Family members have since described a care plan meant to keep him active even as treatments continue.
His spokespeople later said he began hormone therapy and completed a course of radiation therapy in October 2025 as part of that plan, AP reported. In September 2025 he also underwent Mohs surgery to remove cancerous skin lesions from his forehead, a procedure his team characterized as routine, according to AP. Officials say the combination of systemic therapy and targeted procedures reflects the tailored approach doctors often use with metastatic, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.
What living with metastatic prostate cancer means
When prostate cancer spreads to bone it is generally considered stage 4 and is rarely curable, although many treatments can keep the disease under control for years. The Mayo Clinic notes that prostate cancer often grows slowly and that hormone-blocking therapies are a cornerstone of care. Newer combinations of hormone therapy and targeted drugs have extended survival for many patients, turning the illness into a chronic condition for some. That medical reality helps explain Jill Biden's blunt assessment that her husband will live with cancer for the rest of his life.
Political and personal context
Jill Biden's comments arrive as she promotes View from the East Wing, a memoir that revisits the final year of the Bidens' time in the White House and the decision to end Joe Biden's 2024 reelection bid. Newsweek highlights earlier interviews in which she said doctors told the family he would "live out his natural life." She has also spoken about the anxiety the couple felt after a troubled debate appearance in 2024, describing the illness and the campaign as intertwined chapters of the same story. Together, the memoir and television interviews have sharpened public discussion about transparency and care.
Biden himself wrote after the diagnosis that "Cancer touches us all" in a message thanking supporters, a line reported by Axios. For now, the family's public message centers on treatment and quality of life: doctors and spokespeople say the goal is to manage the disease so he can remain engaged in public life. Jill Biden's candor signals that the family is preparing for a long haul rather than a quick fix.
