WILMINGTON, Del.(VINnews) — Former President Joe Biden revealed Tuesday for the first time that his prostate cancer had spread to his bones when it was diagnosed last spring, disclosing the serious development in a personal message posted on his social media account.

“This year it’s more personal for me,” Biden wrote in a message marking Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. “By the time we found it, it had already spread to my bones.”

Every September we mark Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. This year it’s more personal for me.

More than 330,000 American men this year will hear the words we did last spring when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. By the time we found it, it had already spread to my bones.…

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 8, 2026

Biden had previously disclosed his prostate cancer diagnosis, but his latest message provided the first public confirmation from him that the disease had metastasized to his bones.

The former president used the post to urge men not to delay conversations with their doctors about prostate cancer screening, noting that more than 330,000 American men are expected to receive a diagnosis this year.

“When prostate cancer is caught early, the five-year survival is close to 100%,” Biden wrote.

He urged men at average risk to begin discussing screening with their doctors around age 50. He said Black men should begin the conversation at 45 or earlier because they are nearly 70% more likely to develop prostate cancer and two to four times more likely to die from the disease.

Biden also urged men with a family history of prostate cancer to begin talking with their doctors around age 45, or even earlier if more than one close relative, including a father or brother, has had the disease.

“Which is an outrage in the richest country in the world,” Biden wrote of the racial disparity in prostate cancer deaths.

Biden said he remains deeply grateful to the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who have treated him and continue to care for him.

He said radiation treatment he underwent last fall “worked as intended” and that he continues to do the things he cares about, including finishing his memoir.

The former president also thanked people who have reached out to him and his family with prayers and messages of support.

“It’s my hope and prayer that by sharing our experience and being part of this important conversation, we can help save lives,” Biden wrote.

“Talk to your doctors. Ask the hard questions. Do it for yourself and for the people who love you,” he added. “And no matter what, keep the faith. God bless you.”