In a country where medical advancements are often a point of pride, the recent news about former President Joe Biden’s health has left both citizens and medical professionals scratching their heads.
At 82, Biden has been diagnosed with an advanced and aggressive form of prostate cancer—and the timing of that discovery has raised more than a few eyebrows.
An Alarming Diagnosis
Over the weekend, Biden’s team announced that the former president is battling a highly aggressive stage of prostate cancer.
Doctors gave it a Gleason score of 9, placing it in Grade Group 5, which is among the most serious levels of the disease.
The diagnosis came shortly after a small nodule was detected on his prostate.
Naturally, many expressed concern and support—including former President Donald Trump, who, along with Melania, wished Biden a “fast and successful recovery.”
But beneath the messages of support, there’s a growing wave of skepticism among top U.S. doctors who say this diagnosis should never have come so late—especially for someone with access to the very best care.
“Inconceivable” Delay in Detection
Dr. Howie Forman of Yale—who specializes in radiology and public health—was among the first to voice his disbelief.
In his words, it’s “inconceivable” that such aggressive cancer could go unnoticed, especially given that prostate cancer is easily detected through regular PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests.
According to Dr. Forman, the cancer would have been present well before the current diagnosis, and it’s puzzling why it wasn’t flagged much earlier.
He noted that routine PSA screenings should have picked up on the disease years ago, long before it had a chance to become this advanced.
Questions About Biden’s Medical History
Biden underwent a full physical in February 2024 when he was still running for re-election, and his longtime physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, declared him “fit to serve.”
That declaration now seems questionable to many in the medical community.
Dr. Forman raised several possibilities: Had Biden been skipping screenings for over a decade?
Or had his PSA levels always looked deceptively normal? In either case, he said, “It’s just so odd” that the cancer wasn’t discovered sooner—especially with evidence that it has spread to his bones.
Why Wasn’t It Caught Earlier?
Fox News medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel echoed the confusion.
He explained that prostate cancer is typically detected early through elevated PSA levels.
In Biden’s case, it appears the diagnosis only came after he reported urinary problems—a sign the cancer had already advanced.
Dr. Siegel emphasized that routine PSA tests should begin as early as age 45, especially for those at higher risk.
When symptoms like Biden’s show up, Siegel warned, it’s often too late.
“I’m taken aback that it’s this far along,” he said, pointing out that the White House should have been doing close, regular screenings.
Other Doctors Weigh In: “Unheard Of” and “Unusual”
Dr. David Shusterman, a urologist speaking on News Nation, was blunt: for someone like Biden—who has always had elite medical access—to receive a Gleason 9 diagnosis without earlier warning is “unheard of.”
He believes the cancer had likely been developing over several years, and argued that it’s highly improbable that someone receiving annual checkups wouldn’t have known about it much earlier.
Dr. Steven Quay went even further, speculating that Biden may have been carrying a prostate cancer diagnosis throughout his presidency.
In Quay’s view, the disease’s progression—especially to bone metastasis—should have been caught five to seven years ago if properly monitored.
He described it as a potential case of medical malpractice if this is truly the first time the diagnosis was made.
A Political Firestorm: Was It Covered Up?
As the news broke, political figures and commentators began speculating whether there had been a cover-up.
Donald Trump Jr. amplified Dr. Quay’s statements, questioning whether First Lady Jill Biden overlooked the signs—or whether the whole thing had been hidden from the public.
Conservative voices like Benny Johnson called it “the most dangerous cover-up in the history of the presidency.”
He pointed to Biden’s clean bill of health in early 2024 and asked: how could such advanced cancer be missed with so much testing and world-class medical care?
“Was every medical report a lie?” Johnson asked. “For how long?”
Calls for Accountability
Critics didn’t stop at speculation. Some are now demanding investigations.
Commentator Tim Young suggested Dr. O’Connor—Biden’s personal physician—should be stripped of his medical license. Others believe he should testify under oath.
There’s growing momentum behind the idea that people in Biden’s inner circle knew about his condition and deliberately kept it quiet—especially during his re-election campaign.
Biden’s Cancer History and Public Decline
This isn’t Biden’s first health challenge. Back in 1988, he underwent emergency surgery for two brain aneurysms.
More recently, in February 2023, he had a lesion removed from his chest, and he’s previously had non-melanoma skin cancers removed using Mohs surgery.
Toward the end of his presidency, public concern over Biden’s physical state grew louder.
He was seen shuffling, stumbling, and even falling on multiple occasions—most notably during a 2023 commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado.
Eventually, Biden withdrew from the 2024 race, allowing Vice President Kamala Harris to step in.
A New Book Unpacks It All
This situation has also become the focal point of a new book from CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson.
Titled “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” the book dives deep into Biden’s final year in office and the alleged efforts to conceal his deteriorating health.
According to the authors, his condition was so concerning that some advisers were discussing whether Biden might need a wheelchair during a second term—and how they could hide that fact from voters until after the 2024 election.
What’s Next for Biden’s Treatment?
Now that the diagnosis is public, doctors are likely to begin Biden on hormone therapy, which aims to block testosterone—a hormone that helps prostate cancer grow.
This therapy can include drugs like Lupron, which halts testosterone production, or Casodex, which prevents testosterone from binding to cancer cells.
However, these treatments come with tough side effects—fatigue, listlessness, and eventually, in some cases, treatment resistance.
If hormone therapy stops working, Biden may need chemotherapy, targeted treatments, or radiopharmaceuticals.
Messages of Support Pour In
Despite the controversy, there’s been an outpouring of goodwill from fellow leaders.
Former President Barack Obama said he and Michelle are “thinking of the entire Biden family,” praising Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative and expressing hope for a full recovery.
Vice President Harris also sent warm wishes, noting Biden’s resilience and optimism.
“Joe is a fighter,” she said, “and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength and leadership he’s always shown.”