Jill Biden has revealed the early warning sign she noticed in her husband long before he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa, the former First Lady recalled how Joe Biden, now 83, had started waking up as many as seven times every night to use the bathroom.
Concerned, Jill brought the issue to the attention of the White House medical team. However, when she received no further information, she assumed the matter had been addressed.
Later, she discovered that it had not.
A diagnosis that came too late
After Joe and Jill left the White House in January 2025, the nighttime bathroom trips continued. Jill urged her husband to see a specialist in Philadelphia because she believed something was wrong. This time, Joe followed her advice.
In May 2025, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones.
Speaking separately with CBS Sunday Morning, Jill said she was stunned that the cancer had not been detected during the extensive medical evaluations Biden underwent while serving as president.
Although she praised the overall quality of the medical care they received at the White House, she admitted that the missed diagnosis was difficult for her to comprehend.
Kelly Ripa has also spoken about her own family’s experience with cancer, including how her father’s bone cancer was discovered following a car accident.
Facing cancer long-term
Because the cancer had already spread by the time it was discovered, Joe Biden will have to live with the disease rather than being considered completely cancer-free. He and Jill now manage his condition through regular testing and medication every three months.
Jill also reflected on her family’s painful history with cancer, including the 2015 death of Joe’s eldest son, Beau Biden, from glioblastoma. She described living with cancer as something that becomes a constant, everyday reality and acknowledged how difficult that can be.
Despite the challenges, Jill said Joe is doing okay.
The American Urological Association does not recommend routine prostate cancer blood screening for men over 70, noting that prostate cancer is often slow-growing.
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