Biden will be here soon: Former President metastatic prostate cancer

Yes, Stage 4 prostate cancer patients should be encouraged by the state of modern medicine as it relates to prostate cancer.

But, this genitourinary oncologist does nothing to set the record straight. Yes, he states the facts in everything he says; yet at the same time there are misrepresentations in much of what he says. I’ll mention just a couple (of many):

> “…But national guidelines recommended against PSA screening for anyone over age 70,…” There is no urologist I’ve come across who strictly follows that guideline. (And the president’s urologist should not have either). Everyone knows that’s a “guideline,” it’s not “gospel.” And that flawed “guideline” was only created following the very very flawed 2012 “guideline”: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/prostate-cancer-screening-2012)

> “….due to elevated risk of false positives…” There are rarely false positives with PSA tests. Remember that a PSA test is not a prostate cancer test. A positive PSA test (for elevated levels of PSA) is like a glowing “check engine” light in a car, indicating that something may be wrong somewhere. It’s understood that if there is a positive PSA, it’s then necessary to take steps (like diagnosing a “check engine” light) to rule out other factors that might cause an elevated PSA: like a DRE prior to a PSA test, a UTI, prostatitis, rigorous bicycle-riding, or many more reasons. None of this is indicative of a false positive - unless one does not understand that a PSA test is not a cancer test. (Also remember that PSA is not even “prostate specific.” Even breast tissue and mothers’ milk express PSA…..but, that’s another discussion for another day……

There are many more misrepresentations that causes this not to set the record straight, but that’s enough for a start.

Oh man, do I know it! I remember the controversy very well and it’s one of the reasons why my cancer progressed to the Gleason Stage it did...
But the rebound effect was more men being diagnosed with advanced stage cancer. So then they had to backtrack and say OK, we’ll test but not over a certain age because you’re gonna be dead anyway…WTF??
It’s two extreme positions with ‘rational’ in the middle somewhere. No one forces men to self harm; doctors should be the arbiters of the test results. Today we have AS, which is a fantastic collaboration between doctor and patient… At last!
We all know that the current guidelines are certain to be changed - probably to age 75 or so. The many men on this board who’ve elected treatment past age 70 is just a small sampling of how much men disagree with this panel’s view of our useless, last few years of life on this earth past age 70…what f****ing nerve…Best,
Phil

It is an epic failure that he was not screened using both PSA and digital and yes I think both a doctor treating him and the president are at fault here. Ultimately Biden is paying the price. He is an advocate for cancer cures which involves using all screening and he failed himself. I just don't really get it.

I was wondering (after listening to our previous president today) if anyone might have any idea as to the "one pill per day" he may have been prescribed for Gleason 9, Stage 4 Prostate Cancer. It had spread to the bones. Is it now common for a 'one pill per day 'regiment? Sounds too good to be true. TYIA

I didn't hear that, wow. My guess would be that it would be ADT, perhaps Orgovyx. I don't think it's "common" more likely since he's 82 (ish) I'm thinking that they are just looking to slow the cancer down long enough for him to pass from some other natural cause. Although without the rigors of the office, he might have quite a few years left. Let's hope! Best of luck to him!

Since they previously indicated that his prostate cancer was hormone sensitive, they would’ve started him on hormone therapies.

The CNN article I read indicated that “Biden said he is taking a pill for the next six weeks before beginning another pill regimen. CNN has asked Biden’s office for more details about the type of pill he is taking for treatment.”

He may be taking what’s called “doublet therapy” which would consist of ADT (probably Orgovyx, a pill), later followed by an ARPI (Zytiga (abiraterone), Erleada (apalutimide), Xtandi (enzalutimide), or Nubeqa (darolutamide)).

Once those hormone therapies fully kick in, then his active treatments will start (that is if at his age, and possibly any other comorbidities, etc., they’re considering active treatment).

There are probably (hopefully!) so many diagnostic tests going on in the background, that he (like most men in a similar circumstance) only knows about “taking a pill.” To be sure, probably best to wait until his office responds to CNN’s request for details.

Great reply-agree 100%

I fit the same diagnosis and, like him, had a family member die from glioblastoma. I’m led to believe that genetic testing might identify a specific variant treatable with a PARP inhibitor.

There’s only one thing he could be taking, Orgovyx. It is the only one pill hormone drug that is taken once a day.

I don’t know about other people, but I was on Lupron alone for 2 1/2 years, since I was hormone sensitive, it kept my PSA undetectable.

They probably haven’t prescribed an ARSI Because the Orgovyx is all he needs right now?

Per the Washington Post, Biden says he will be taking 2 pills, not one. He'll start out with one and then add a second in about 6 weeks he said. “It’s all a matter of taking a pill, one particular pill for the next six weeks and then another one,” Biden added. “The expectation is we’re going to be able to beat this. There’s no — it’s not in any organ, my bones are strong, it hadn’t penetrated.”

Biden also said he's talking to a leading surgeon: "Biden said Friday that he was working with “one of the leading surgeons in the world,” one who had received the same diagnosis himself 32 years ago, and that the doctor is “alive and well.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/05/30/biden-health-prostate-cancer-update/