Former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has metastasized into his bones and further, leaving him in significant pain, his son Hunter Biden revealed in a BBC interview broadcast Friday. The 83-year-old former president was diagnosed in May 2025 and previously completed radiation and hormone therapy.
Former U.S. The update on the 83-year-old Democrat’s health came from his son, Hunter Biden, during a wide-ranging interview with the BBC’s “Newsnight” program.
Hunter Biden grew emotional while discussing his father’s condition, describing the illness as a difficult ordeal for the family to witness firsthand.
“The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further. It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects.”
Hunter Biden, via BBC
Family Reactions and Public Appearances Amid Advanced Disease
While acknowledging the toll the advanced disease has taken, Hunter Biden noted that his father remains active in public life and continues speaking out about issues important to him. Hunter Biden told the BBC that he wishes his father would complain more about his health given the severity of the condition.
“My dad is, to this day, the center of our family. He’s the best father, the best husband, the best grandfather.”
Hunter Biden, via USA Today
The former president’s office first revealed the diagnosis in May 2025, less than four months after the conclusion of his presidential term. At the time, medical evaluations indicated an aggressive form of the disease that had already reached his bones. By September 2025, the family announced that he had completed a course of radiation and hormone therapy.
Medical Context and Previous Treatment Timeline
Former first lady Jill Biden spoke about her husband’s ongoing medical requirements, explaining that his care involves frequent monitoring and management. Speaking on SiriusXM’s Let's Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa,
she detailed the daily challenges associated with his recovery journey, comparing it to her family’s previous experiences with cancer.
Medical specialists note that advanced prostate cancer involving bone metastasis requires careful, continuous management. Dr. John Finnie, a hematology and oncology specialist at Mercy St. Louis who was not involved in Joe Biden’s direct care, explained in a Straight Arrow interview that modern diagnostic tools like PSMA PET scans can identify small areas of disease that older imaging methods missed. Finnie emphasized that bone metastases, while advanced, remain addressable through current medical protocols.
“With these current therapies, it’s a lot more treatable than it used to be in years past.”
Dr. John Finnie, Mercy St. Louis hematology and oncology specialist, via SAN
Broader Revelations From the BBC Interview
Beyond his father’s health update, Hunter Biden addressed the presidential pardon granted to him by Joe Biden just before leaving office. The pardon covered offenses committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024, shielding him from federal gun and tax evasion convictions.
Hunter Biden admitted during the broadcast that the pardon was subject to criticism but expressed gratitude for his father’s decision, noting that the former president ultimately chose him over his legacy.
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