Friends Voice Concern for Biden Amid Cancer Battle

While former President Biden is publicly leaning into optimism as he battles advanced prostate cancer, some of those closest to him are less at ease. Friends and former aides tell the Washington Post they've noticed the 83-year-old looking more tired in recent weeks and worry about the cumulative toll of Stage 4 disease and its treatments, though one associate describes him as active, engaged, and upbeat about his prognosis. Biden's office isn't commenting, and the former president has shared no fresh medical details since announcing last May that his cancer had spread to his bones and was being managed with hormone therapy and, later, radiation.

Since leaving office, Biden has kept a relatively low profile while working on his memoir and building out his foundation and library. Still, he posed for photos with passengers while riding an Amtrak train from Washington to Delaware last week, and is planning a trip to South Carolina this month for a speech marking his 2020 primary win there. Cancer specialists note that while metastatic prostate cancer is considered incurable, newer treatments can let some men live for many years; outcomes vary widely and depend on how far the cancer has spread. Politically, Biden's diagnosis has intensified private Democratic debates over age, succession, and how he might shape his legacy in the post-presidency.