Former US President Joe Biden diagnosed with prostate cancer, says his office

He received the diagnosis on Friday following complaints of urinary symptoms, the statement said.

Biden and his family are reviewing treatment options.

Prostate cancer is assessed using the Gleason score, which ranges from 1 to 10 and indicates how abnormal the cancer cells are compared to healthy ones.

According to the Associated Press, Biden’s score of 9 indicates a highly aggressive form of the disease.

Prostate cancer commonly spreads to the bones when it metastasises. Once the disease spreads beyond the prostate, it becomes significantly harder to treat, as it’s difficult for medications to target and eliminate all the tumours.