Jill Biden says former president will live with stage 4 cancer 'for the rest of his life,' has slowed down

Former First Lady Jill Biden offered a candid glimpse into her husband's health battle this weekend, revealing that former President Joe Biden, 83, continues to manage a demanding schedule despite living with stage 4 cancer.

During a conversation with political commentator Ana Navarro for her new memoir, "View From the East Wing," Jill Biden described how the former president's cancer diagnosis came about. She explained that while Joe Biden was still serving as president, she noticed he was getting up seven times each night to use the bathroom. Assuming his medical team would address the issue, she didn't push further at the time.

After leaving the White House in January 2025, the problem persisted. Jill Biden said she insisted her husband see a urologist, and during that first appointment, the doctor delivered troubling news.

"There's something there," she recalled the physician saying. A follow-up CAT scan confirmed the diagnosis.

"I never imagined it would be prostate cancer," Jill Biden admitted. "I just never imagined it."

The cancer has since been identified as stage 4, having spread to Biden's bones. Jill Biden said this fundamentally changes the situation.

"Joe will have to live with cancer for the rest of his life, which means he's on special medicines," she said.

The former president also underwent five weeks of radiation treatments, making repeated trips from the couple's home in Delaware to Philadelphia.

"You know, it takes a toll," Jill Biden noted.

Despite the diagnosis, the former president has maintained an active lifestyle. Jill Biden told NBC's "Today" show earlier this week that her husband is "doing OK" and continues traveling, including making speeches and riding Amtrak. He attended a Democratic Party event in South Dakota on Friday, was at a friend's wedding Saturday, and had plans to be in Philadelphia on Sunday.

"He keeps his schedule, but he's slowed down," Jill Biden said. "I mean, stage 4 cancer is—and he's 83—so, I think the mix of everything and the medications that he's taken has made life a little more difficult these days."

The former first lady also opened up about her role as a caregiver in the wake of the diagnosis.

"It's hard to be a caretaker," she said. "I have to make sure he gets the right medications. I'm the one talking to the doctors. I'm the one setting up the appointments. I'm the one to make sure that he eats well."

Joe Biden announced his cancer diagnosis publicly in May 2025. Jill Biden told Navarro she was "heartbroken" by how some Democrats responded to her husband after his difficult debate performance in June 2024, with longtime allies publicly calling for him to exit the presidential race. She said the couple reconciled with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a funeral in January, though Jill Biden noted she personally has not yet spoken with Pelosi.

The former first lady also addressed what she perceives as a double standard in how voters and media discuss age and mental fitness, pointing out that former President Donald Trump will turn 80 in June.

When asked what qualities she hopes to see in the next president after Trump, Jill Biden said she looks for integrity, trustworthiness, and empathy.

"They're the characteristics of the American people," she said. "That's who we are."