Hunter Biden has given one of the most candid accounts yet of his father Joe Biden’s battle with stage 4 prostate cancer, describing the disease as painful and debilitating as it continues to affect the former president.
“Cancer is really hard,” Hunter, 56, said during a new interview with BBC Newsnight. “It’s really sad to watch.”
Hunter said his father’s cancer has metastasized to his bones and beyond, although he did not specify where else the disease has spread. He described what Joe is experiencing as “very painful” and “very debilitating in many respects.”
Despite the physical toll, Hunter said the 83-year-old former president remains at the center of the Biden family and rarely talks about his discomfort. “The only thing that I’d say about my dad, about his health right now, is I wish he would complain more,” he said.
Hunter Says Watching His Father in Pain Has Been ‘Really Sad’
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Hunter became emotional while discussing his father’s condition during the BBC interview, which aired Friday, August 7th. “The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” Hunter said, according to The Associated Press.
Hunter said the illness has been difficult for the entire family to watch but described Joe as remaining the person around whom the family revolves. He called his father the “center of our family” and praised the roles he continues to play as a father, husband and grandfather.
Hunter’s concern is partly that Joe does not talk enough about what he is experiencing. “I wish he would complain more,” he said. “Because it’s not good.”
Joe Biden’s Cancer Had Already Spread to His Bones at Diagnosis
Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support. pic.twitter.com/oSS1vGIiwU
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 19, 2025
Joe’s office announced his prostate cancer diagnosis in May 2025 after he experienced increasing urinary symptoms and doctors discovered a nodule on his prostate. The cancer was characterized by a Gleason score of 9, Grade Group 5, with metastasis to the bone.
A Gleason score of 9 indicates a highly aggressive prostate cancer. His office said at the time that the disease appeared to be hormone-sensitive, allowing doctors to manage it with treatment. Joe responded publicly after the announcement by sharing a photograph with Jill Biden and their cat, Willow.
“Cancer touches us all,” he wrote. “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places.” He thanked supporters for the messages the family received following the diagnosis.
He Completed Radiation Treatment in October
Joe’s treatment has included both radiation and hormone therapy. A spokesperson confirmed in October 2025 that the former president had begun a course of radiation while also receiving hormone treatment.
Later that month, Joe completed that round of radiation and rang the bell at Penn Medicine Radiation Oncology in Philadelphia to mark the milestone. His daughter Ashley Biden shared footage from the moment, while PEOPLE reported that the radiation course ended on October 20th.
Jill Biden said this week that her husband continues to undergo regular testing and receive medication as doctors manage the disease.
Jill Biden Says Cancer Is Now a ‘Daily’ Part of Their Lives
Hunter’s comments came just days after Jill provided her own update on her husband’s condition during the August 5th episode of SiriusXM’s Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa.
Jill said Joe will continue living with cancer because the disease had already metastasized before it was discovered. “We have to be mindful of it every three months, testing and medicines,” she said. She described the experience of living alongside cancer as continuous rather than something confined to individual treatments or appointments. “It’s constant,” Jill said. “It’s daily. And I think it’s challenging.”
The Biden family has experienced cancer before. Joe and Jill’s son Beau Biden died from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in 2015 at age 46. Jill previously said in June that Joe was “doing OK,” while acknowledging that the spread to his bones made his circumstances significantly different from prostate cancer that remained localized.
Hunter Says His Father Is Still ‘Doing His Thing’
During a lengthy 2025 interview with Andrew Callaghan, Hunter also discussed the seriousness of Joe’s diagnosis while emphasizing his father’s tendency to continue with his life rather than dwell publicly on his condition.
His BBC comments provide a more direct description of the physical toll than earlier family updates. Even so, Hunter said his father continues making public appearances and speaking about issues that matter to him. “He’s still doing his thing,” Hunter said. “He so believes in this country.”