Explainer

Joe Biden Has Prostate Cancer. How Serious Is the Disease?

Former US President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer after

Photographer: Leigh Vogel/UPI

Former US President Joe Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. While serious, the diagnosis highlights broader trends: Prostate cancer is among the most common cancers in men, especially as they age — but survival rates have improved over the past few decades.

Here’s what we know, and why it matters.