Hunter Biden says Joe Biden’s cancer has spread further, causing severe pain

Hunter Biden said his father’s cancer has spread further and now causes significant pain and debilitation, offering a stark public assessment of former President Joe Biden’s health.

“The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” Hunter Biden told the BBC’s “Newsnight” in an interview aired Aug. 7. “It’s very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects.”

Hunter Biden became emotional while discussing his 83-year-old father, calling the illness “really sad to watch.” He said he sometimes wishes the former president “would complain more” because the suffering is greater than Biden lets on.

Despite the elder Biden’s worsening condition, Hunter said his father remains engaged in public life, attending speaking events and discussing issues important to him. Joe Biden has continued to make limited public appearances, including at a Maryland Democratic event and at the dedication of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

A spokesman for the former president declined to comment Aug. 8 when asked about Hunter Biden’s remarks. As of Sunday, Aug. 9, Joe Biden’s office had not said where else the disease had spread or announced a new course of treatment.

Hunter’s phrase “and further” suggested progression beyond the bone metastasis disclosed last year, but he did not identify any additional affected areas, and no physician or Biden representative publicly confirmed any details.

Biden announced his diagnosis in May 2025 after urinary symptoms led doctors to discover a nodule on his prostate. His cancer received a Gleason score of 9, placing it in Grade Group 5, the most severe category, and had already spread to his bones. His office said at the time that the cancer was hormone-sensitive, allowing for effective management.

The former president underwent hormone therapy and completed a round of radiation treatment in October 2025. Former first lady Jill Biden said in June of this year that her husband continued to keep a schedule but had slowed down, adding that Stage 4 cancer, his age, and his medications had made daily life more difficult.

Republican officials offered public prayers following the latest update. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., wrote that “cancer is a horrific disease, and no one should wish this suffering on any person,” adding that his prayers were with Biden as he continued his fight.

Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy also said that he and first lady Rose Dunleavy were “praying for President Biden and his family as he goes through this difficult time in fighting stage 4 prostate cancer.”