Biden's prostate cancer may have gone undiagnosed for years based on severity, doctors say

Details released so far about former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis suggest his case is uncommon but not unheard of, according to doctors who treat the disease.

Details released so far about former President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis suggest his case is uncommon but not unheard of, according to doctors who treat the disease.

Biden, 82, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer on Friday, following the discovery of a nodule on his prostate, his personal office said in a statement. The cancer has spread to the bone, his office said, but seems likely to respond to treatment. 

Most cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed at an early stage, often with the help of routine screenings involving blood tests or rectal exams. 

But in around 8% of cases, the cancer has already metastasized — or spread to other organs — by the time it’s diagnosed. At that point, the patient has likely had prostate cancer for several years to a decade, multiple oncologists said.  

In Biden’s case, “we definitely would anticipate that he has had prostate cancer for many, many years,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer for the American Cancer Society.