By: Chris Gilmore / TRT Reporter
Leaders, Advocacy Groups, and Communities Rally Behind President Biden Amid Health Battle
WASHINGTON—A statement released recently by President Joe Biden’s office announced that the President Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.
The diagnosis followed a routine physical examination earlier in the month, during which doctors found a small nodule in his prostate.
President Biden’s prostate cancer was assigned a Gleason score of 9, which falls near the top of the scale. This score signifies a high-grade, aggressive cancer that is more likely to grow and spread quickly, requiring prompt and intensive treatment.
The Gleason scale is a grading system used to evaluate the aggressiveness of prostate cancer based on how abnormal the cancer cells appear under a microscope. It ranges from 6 to 10, with higher scores showing more aggressive and faster-growing cancers. Despite the seriousness of the diagnosis, the cancer is hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management through hormone therapies that inhibit cancer growth.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2021, of the 236,659 cases of prostate cancer found, 70% were diagnosed before the cancer had spread beyond the prostate. About 8% of new prostate cancer diagnoses that year, however, involved advanced-stage disease.
Biden’s office said that he and his family are currently reviewing treatment options with his physicians. The former president has a personal history with cancer; his eldest son, Beau Biden, died of brain cancer in 2015. This experience led to the launch of the Cancer Moonshot initiative, which aims to prevent 4 million cancer deaths by 2047 and improve the lives of those living with cancer.
The news of Biden’s diagnosis has prompted an outpouring of support from political allies, advocacy groups, and communities he has championed throughout his career.
Biden acknowledged the diagnosis but struck an optimistic tone, saying, “This is a fight I intend to win—with the same determination I’ve brought to every battle for fairness and equality in this country.”
Medical experts note that while metastatic prostate cancer is serious, advancements in treatment have allowed patients to live several years post-diagnosis. The five-year survival rate for metastatic prostate cancer is approximately 37%, significantly lower than early-stage detection, which has a 99% five-year survival rate.
Biden’s diagnosis comes at a time when he continues to be an influential figure in American politics, particularly among communities of color, LGBTQ+ activists, and women’s rights organizations. His administration was noted for its historic diversity and commitment to equity policies.
LGBTQ+ Allyship: A Defining Legacy
President Biden’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender Americans, was a hallmark of his presidency. He reversed the ban on transgender military service, strengthened anti-discrimination protections in housing and healthcare HRC Report, and hosted landmark LGBTQ+ events at the White House, including the first-ever Transgender Day of Visibility reception.
In his 2023 State of the Union, he explicitly condemned anti-trans laws, declaring, “Let’s be clear: Trans rights are human rights” (White House SOTU Archive). President Biden’s personal evolution moved from early support of same-sex marriage as Vice President under Obama—a position he credited to conversations with LGBTQ+ staffers and families (The Advocate Interview, 2012) to full marriage equality support and LGBTQI+ equality, and the strengthening of anti-discrimination protections in housing and healthcare.
Women’s Rights and Historic Firsts
The president’s nomination of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson—the first Black woman on the Supreme Court—fulfilled a campaign promise to Black voters, who buoyed his primary and general election victories. Biden also fiercely defended Roe v. Wade (TRT, 2022), signing executive orders to protect abortion access after its overturn and calling Republican-led bans “a fundamental assault on freedom,” (NPR, 2024).
Working to end gender-based violence has been a cornerstone of President Biden’s and Vice President Harris’ careers, and the Administration made significant progress in reducing violence and supporting survivors. Between 1993 and 2022, annual domestic violence rates dropped by 67% and the rate of rapes and sexual assaults declined by 56%.
The 46th president, who defeated Donald Trump in the contentious 2020 election, has long positioned himself as a bulwark against white supremacy and an advocate for historic diversity in government. His administration—the most racially and gender-diverse in U.S. history, per Pew Research Center—appointed the first Black, Asian, and Native American Cabinet secretaries and prioritized equity policies.
The diagnosis prompted an outpouring of support from political allies, advocacy groups, communities he has championed throughout his career, and many others.
While heartless trolls swarm to attack President Biden after he announced his cancer diagnosis, I choose to uplift his greatest strength: his compassion.
WE LOVE YOU, JOE. 💙pic.twitter.com/my82SXTdON
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) May 19, 2025
I don’t care if President Biden stuttered, misspoke forgot names..(he’s old I get it) all i cared about were results and boy did he deliver
What an amazing President pic.twitter.com/glEJctAKe3
— Henry Djoutsa 🇨🇲🇺🇸 Supports🇺🇦 (@D_jeneration) May 17, 2025
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