‘Strongest in broken places’: Former US President Joe Biden thanks public after cancer diagnosis

The former US President said he and his wife Jill are “strongest in the broken places” as he spoke for the first time about his prostate cancer diagnosis.

Joe Biden has thanked the public for lifting him up after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

The former US President, 82, was diagnosed with the disease, which has metastasised to the bone, after experiencing urinary symptoms.

In a post shared to X, he said: “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places.

“Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.”

The message was shared alongside a photo of Mr Biden and his wife Jill, who lost their son Beau to brain cancer in 2015.

Former US President Joe Biden shared this image of himself and wife Jill alongside his thank you on X. Picture: X/JoeBiden

Mr Biden has an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer which has spread to his bones, a statement from his office said.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians,” it added.

Hormone therapy is a common treatment that can shrink tumours and slow cancer growth, but is not a cure.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer in Australia and it is estimated that one in six Australian men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer by the age of 85.

Current US President Donald Trump, who has long derided Mr Biden over his cognitive abilities and his four years in office, said he was “saddened” by the news.

“We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” he wrote on Truth Social.

However, the President’s son Donald Trump Jr, questioned if Mr Biden’s cancer diagnosis was part of a “cover-up”.

Taking to social media hours after re-sharing a post wishing Mr Biden a speedy recovery, Mr Trump Jr speculated how the cancer had been missed until last week.

“What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer or is this yet another cover-up???” Mr Trump Jr wrote on X, incorrectly labelling Mr Biden’s cancer diagnosis “stage five”.

In Australia, a similar thought was echoed by Dr Norman Swan, who questioned whether the diagnosis had been shielded from the public long before it was announced.

He has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Picture: AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

“What was going on with his doctors and were they doing PSA testing on him?” he said on ABC Radio National on Monday morning. High or rising levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen) can be an indication of prostate cancer.

“I mean, they do almost every other test under the sun on Presidents when they’re doing their regular medical checks, and were they actually doing his PSA test?

“If they were, it would have been rising, and why did they ignore it if indeed they did ignore it?”

- With AFP