According to five former aides and other people close to J. Biden, many of whom spoke anonymously to openly discuss his health and personal life, the treatment appears to be working. However, the illness – and the consequences of its treatment – have clearly weakened him.
Those close to J. Biden describe his life after the presidency as constrained by illness, with his days increasingly consisting of treatment, family, and efforts to “shape his legacy.”
Unlike some recent predecessors, J. Biden maintains a limited public schedule, has not yet established a broad philanthropic or political organization, and faces difficulties raising funds for the presidential library. For these reasons, he has fewer opportunities to influence how his leadership period will be remembered.
“This fall, it will become increasingly difficult to hide this frailty from the public as J. Biden begins promoting his memoirs, scheduled for release on November 17 – two weeks after the midterm elections. This timing worries some friends and former advisers who care not only about J. Biden’s well-being but also that his obvious health issues could reignite fierce 2024 disputes at a time when Democrats are trying to turn the elections into a referendum on President Donald Trump,” the newspaper writes.
Battle with cancer: Biden underwent important surgery
15min recalls that a year ago, former U.S. President Joe Biden underwent surgery to remove cancerous cells from his skin, NBC News reported, citing a press representative.
This procedure, called Mohs surgery, is typically used to treat the most common forms of skin cancer.
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The surgery was performed just a few months after J. Biden revealed in May 2025 that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. His team described the disease as aggressive but hormone-sensitive, meaning it is likely to respond to treatment.
While serving as president in 2023, during a routine health check, a skin lesion was removed. That lesion was identified as basal cell carcinoma.
J. Biden’s physical health and mental sharpness have been frequently discussed topics during his presidency. In July 2024, he suddenly decided not to seek re-election, just weeks after a poor debate performance with Donald Trump caused significant concern within the Democratic Party.
At his 2020 victory, J. Biden was the oldest person ever elected president. This record was surpassed when D. Trump was elected president.
Since leaving office, J. Biden has been relatively inactive and appeared publicly only a few times. He gave a speech defending the Social Security Administration against proposed cuts by the D. Trump administration.
