Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to the bone, a spokesperson said in a statement on May 18.

Biden was diagnosed on May 16 after "experiencing urinary symptoms," and a "nodule" was discovered on his prostate, according to the statement. While the diagnosis indicates the former president has one of the worst forms of the disease, it "appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management," the spokesperson said.

"The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians," the statement added.

Biden, who served as president from 2021 to 2025, abruptly ended his reelection bid last July, weeks after a halting performance during a debate against then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump prompted panic among his fellow Democrats. Vice President Kamala Harris took over as the party's nominee but lost in November to Trump.

Biden's physical health and mental acuity drew intense media scrutiny even before the debate. At the time of his election, Biden was the oldest person to win the presidency — Trump, 78, broke that record when he defeated Harris in 2024.

Biden previously served as vice president under former President Barack Obama and as a United States senator who was first elected to the office in 1972.

Biden’s cancer diagnosis came on the same day audio was published of his interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. The former president’s halting speech and memory lapses in the interview – and new books about Biden – have renewed questions about his fitness when he ran in 2024 to serve a second term.

Biden said in a May 8 interview on ABC’s "The View" of allegations he suffered cognitive decline: "They are wrong." He maintained he would’ve won if he stayed in the race.

The Biden family has been devastated by cancer before. The former president’s son, Beau Biden, died of a brain tumor in 2015.

Trump and Harris wish Biden a quick recovery

Support for Biden quickly poured in from across the political sphere after the news of his diagnosis.

President Donald Trump said in a statement with his wife, Melania, that they were "saddened" to hear about the diagnosis.

"We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery," Trump wrote.

Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential race after an acrimonious campaign.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who served under Biden and took over the Democratic nomination after he dropped out of the race last year, said in a statement with her husband that they are "hopeful for a full and speedy recovery."

"Joe is a fighter - and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership," Harris added.

Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., shared a social media message from another account stating: "Politics aside, we wish him a speedy recovery!"

Obama on Biden: He will 'fight this challenge'

In a statement, Obama said he and his wife, Michelle Obama, are thinking of the Biden family.

"Nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe, and I am certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace," the former president said on X. "We pray for a fast and full recovery."

Bill Clinton: 'My friend Joe Biden's always been a fighter'

Among those wishing Biden well was former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee.

"My friend Joe Biden’s always been a fighter," Bill Clinton posted on social media. "Hillary and I are rooting for him and are keeping him, Jill, and the entire family in our thoughts."

Biden received clean bill of health last year

Biden had a routine physical in February 2024 during the last year of his presidency. The doctor’s report said he was “a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male.”

The doctors said he was receiving treatment for sleep apnea and that all of his other medical conditions remain “stable and well controlled.”

A skin lesion was removed from Biden’s chest in 2023. Known as a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer, his doctor said then that no further treatment was required.

A leading cause of death in men

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer for men, other than non-melanoma skin cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"It is also one of the leading causes of cancer death among men of all races," the CDC says.

There were 236,659 new prostate cancer diagnoses in 2021, according to the most recent CDC data. In 2022, 33,363 men died of the disease.

Biden's spokesperson revealed that the former president's cancer has a Gleason score of 9, grade group 5, which the American Cancer Society describes as a type "most likely to grow and spread quickly."

Lawmakers react

Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle began sharing their support and prayers for the former president on social media.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, said on X that she was "sorry to see this news" about the former president, adding that "cancer is truly awful."

"My Dad passed away in 2021 with cancer," Greene added. "Prays for Joe Biden and his family."

Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox also posted his support for Biden on X, adding that he and his family were joining "Americans everywhere in praying for President Biden's continued health and recovery."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said on X she was "saddened to hear" about Biden's cancer diagnosis and wished him and his family well. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, said he was "praying for his full recovery."

Meanwhile, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed his support to Biden on X, and sent "strength, healing and prayers his way."

"A man of dignity, strength, and compassion like his deserves to live a long and beautiful life," the California governor said on X.

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman said Biden has been a "fighter his whole life" and will prevail in his cancer fight.

'I don’t believe times like these are appropriate for politics'

Meghan McCain called cancer the "absolute worst" and described the disease as "hell." McCain's father, the late Republican Sen. John McCain, died of a deadly form of brain cancer in 2018.

"It is incredibly difficult for any family, anywhere that has to deal with it. Wishing nothing but healing, prayers, light and strength to President Biden and his family," she said on X. "I don’t believe times like these are appropriate for politics."

How common is prostate cancer?

The National Cancer Institute says that prostate cancer makes up about 15.4% of all cancer cases and estimates that there will be 313,780 cases in 2025.

"I find that it's something that a lot of men don't talk about," Dr. Samuel Haywood, a urologist specializing in prostate cancer, told USA TODAY when former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin disclosed that he underwent prostate cancer surgery in 2024. "Men can be very stoic, and they don't like to talk about their health issues."

About 12.9% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetime, according to the National Cancer Institute. The institute also says that there were an estimated 3,518,978 men living with prostate cancer in the United States in 2022.

Prostate cancer prognosis and treatment

While non-metastasized prostate cancer has a 97.9% 5-year relative survival rate, according to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer that has metastasized and spread to other parts of the body has a survival rate of about 37%, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Management of the disease may include surgery, radiation therapies, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, among other treatment options, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Men with earlier stages of prostate cancer can opt for "active surveillance." A 2023 study found that people who chose watchful waiting were no more likely to die than those who opted for surgery or radiation, and they suffered no side effects, other than perhaps some anxiety.

James Powel and Thao Nguyen of  the USA TODAY Network co-wrote this story.