Former President Joe Biden's Cancer Battle Takes a Toll as He Admits 'Some Days Are Better Than Others'

Former President Joe Biden has said his battle with an aggressive form of prostate cancer will limit the promotional appearances he had hoped to make for his memoir, acknowledging that the illness sometimes slows him down. The 83-year-old said his doctors remained encouraged by his response to treatment, but he would be unable to take part in as many conversations about the book as planned.

Biden made the announcement on 8 November, nine days before the scheduled publication of Promise Me, America. A publicity tour had initially been planned, but he had not yet held promotional events, The Washington Post reported. His statement did not identify specific appearances that had been cancelled.

Biden Says Cancer Sometimes Slows Him Down

'Some days are better than others. It hasn't stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down', Biden wrote. He said he hoped the words on the page would speak for themselves and thanked supporters for their prayers, kind words and well wishes to him, his wife Jill and their family.

Biden also said he received his cancer diagnosis while writing the memoir. He added: 'My doctors continue to be encouraged by how I've responded to treatment'. His statement did not provide scan results or indicate a change in his treatment.

Hunter Biden Describes Pain as Cancer Spreads

Biden announced in May 2025 that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. His office said the cancer appeared hormone-sensitive, which it said allowed for effective management. The diagnosis followed urinary symptoms and the discovery of a prostate nodule. His office disclosed a Gleason score of nine.

In an August 2026 interview with the BBC, Hunter Biden said the cancer had spread to his father's bones and further. He described the illness as painful and debilitating, saying: 'I wish he would complain more, because it's not good'. Hunter's comments were his account of his father's condition, rather than a medical statement from Biden's doctors.

Biden offered a positive update on 8 September, saying radiation treatment in autumn 2025 had 'worked as intended'. He said he continued doing things he cared about, including finishing his memoir, and encouraged men to speak to doctors about prostate health. The September message preceded his latest admission that his illness sometimes slowed him down.

Memoir Revisits Biden's Presidency and Trump

Promise Me, America is due to be published on 17 November, three days before Biden's 84th birthday. The book covers his four years in the White House, the decisions made by his administration and his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.

An excerpt published by The Atlantic on 9 November included Biden's criticism of Donald Trump over the 6 January 2021 Capitol attack. Biden wrote that Trump's actions on 6 January should 'follow him to his grave' and criticised his pardons of more than 1,500 people convicted in connection with the Capitol riot.

The memoir's title echoes Biden's 2017 book, Promise Me, Dad, which addressed his son Beau's illness and death from brain cancer in 2015. Biden has not said the new title was chosen in reference to his own diagnosis.