A noticeably frail Joe Biden was seen in public Saturday for the first time since news broke that he is undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer — attending evening Mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine, the Roman Catholic church he has frequented for decades.
The 82-year-old former president was photographed leaving the hour-long service, walking slowly and holding onto a woman for support.
A large scar above his right eye — the result of recent skin cancer surgery — was still visible as he greeted parishioners outside the church following the 50-minute Mass.
Mr Owl For NY Post
Biden, dressed in a dark suit, chatted quietly with several attendees for about 10 minutes before departing without his wife, Jill Biden, who did not accompany him to the service.
It marked his first public outing since it was disclosed last week that he had begun a five-week course of radiation and hormone therapy for Stage 4 prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.
Representatives for the former president said the regimen is expected to last about five weeks.
Doctors have described his cancer as high-grade, with a Gleason score of nine, though hormone-sensitive — allowing for management through medication and radiation. The highest score on the Gleason scale is 10.
“High-grade” means the cancer cells differ greatly from normal cells, so they behave more aggressively and have a higher chance of spreading beyond the prostate.
Biden has been taking hormone pills and receiving care, according to reports.
The diagnosis came after Biden reported urinary issues earlier this year, leading doctors to detect a small nodule on his prostate.
In addition to the prostate cancer, he has twice undergone skin cancer procedures — most recently last month, when surgeons removed lesions from his forehead that left a visible scar.
In 2023, then-President Biden also had a cancerous growth removed from his chest. His physician previously said those earlier procedures were successful and required no further intervention.
Biden’s health and age became central to political debates during his final year in office.
Mounting concerns about his fitness — intensified after a faltering debate performance against Donald Trump — led him to end his re-election campaign in July 2024 and endorse then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who later lost to Trump.
Since leaving the White House in January, Biden has kept a low profile, surfacing mainly for medical updates and limited public appearances.
