Philadelphia, 12 October (H.S.): Former US President Joe Biden, aged 82, is currently receiving radiation therapy as part of his treatment for prostate cancer, alongside hormone therapy, his office has confirmed. The five-week radiation regimen began several weeks ago in Philadelphia, marking a new phase in his ongoing medical care.

Biden was diagnosed in May with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, characterized by a high Gleason score of 9, indicating fast-spreading cancer cells. The disease had also metastasized to his bones, though it remains hormone-sensitive, allowing for more effective management.

The diagnosis came after Biden reported urinary symptoms that led to the detection of a prostate nodule.Since leaving office in January as the oldest US president in history, Biden has been responding well to treatment, sources close to him have revealed. His health had been a subject of concern during his presidency, especially after he decided to end his 2024 re-election bid late in the campaign.

Kamala Harris succeeded him as the Democratic presidential candidate but lost to current President Donald Trump in that election.Biden and his wife Jill have been long-time advocates for cancer research, relaunched the ambitious Cancer Moonshot initiative in 2022 aiming to prevent more than four million cancer deaths by 2047.

The former president's personal connection to cancer runs deep, having lost his eldest son Beau to brain cancer in 2015 and having undergone treatment twice for skin cancer in recent years.Prostate cancer remains the second most common cancer among men in the US, with age being the primary risk factor, according to the American Cancer Society and CDC.

Biden’s case highlights the challenges of managing aggressive cancer in older adults while inspiring renewed focus on research and treatment innovation.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar