Hunter Biden revealed in a BBC Newsnight interview on Friday that his father’s prostate cancer has spread further, describing the condition as “very painful” and “very debilitating.” “The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” Hunter Biden told the BBC, adding that it has been “really sad to watch” his 83-year-old father suffer.
The younger Biden became emotional while discussing his father’s health during the wide-ranging interview, which also covered his controversial presidential pardon and his political future. The revelation provides a stark update on the former president’s condition since his initial diagnosis more than a year ago.
Former President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer in May 2025 that had already metastasized to his bones, according to his office. Medical experts described the diagnosis as serious: the cancer had a Gleason score of 9 out of 10, indicating a high likelihood of rapid progression. At the time, Biden said the prognosis was good and that treatment would involve taking medication.
In response to his diagnosis, Biden underwent radiation therapy in October 2025, a five-week course of treatment intended to manage the disease. His medical team reported that the cancer was hormone-sensitive, meaning it could be treated with hormone therapy to lower testosterone levels and shrink cancer cells. First Lady Jill Biden stated in June 2026 that her husband would have cancer “for the rest of his life,” but that treatment was ongoing.
Medical experts have noted that while metastatic prostate cancer cannot be cured once it spreads to the bones, survival rates have improved significantly with newer therapies. According to data cited in recent coverage, the five-year survival rate for metastatic prostate cancer is approximately 37 percent. However, specialists have indicated that patients with stage 4 prostate cancer can live 5 to 10 years or longer with treatment, and some live even longer depending on how well the disease responds to therapy.
Hunter Biden’s BBC interview also touched on other aspects of his life, including his acknowledgment that the full and unconditional pardon his father issued in 2024 was “not good” for America or his father’s legacy. He stated he would not seek elected office.
Sources
- BBC News — Hunter Biden’s BBC Newsnight interview revealing his father’s cancer has spread, aired August 8-9, 2026
- The New York Times — Hunter Biden’s statement that his father’s cancer has metastasized into his bones and further, causing pain and debilitation
- Time Magazine — Coverage of Hunter Biden’s BBC Newsnight interview on August 9, 2026
- NBC News — Biden’s original prostate cancer diagnosis in May 2025 and subsequent radiation therapy in October 2025
- Washington Post — Hunter Biden’s emotional discussion of his father’s cancer and pardon in the BBC interview
- CNBC — Hunter Biden’s description of his father’s cancer as “very painful” and “very debilitating”
- NPR — Five-year survival rate data for metastatic prostate cancer at 37 percent
- MUSC Hollings Cancer Center — Expert commentary on metastatic prostate cancer survival rates and treatment options
