Former US President Joe Biden said Sunday that he will scale back promotion of his memoir, Promise me, America, as he continues treatment for cancer. In a post on X, he said he will not be able to do as many conversations about the book as he had hoped, because "some days are better than others."
Biden, 83, announced months after leaving office in January 2025 that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer, according to NBC News. He has since had radiation therapy and hormone treatment, NBC reported.
Biden’s office disclosed the prostate cancer diagnosis in May 2025 and said the cancer had spread to his bones, according to the Straits Times. Biden said his doctors "continue to be encouraged" by how he has responded to treatment, the Straits Times reported.
The timeline of the spread is disputed in the available coverage. In August, Hunter Biden told the BBC that his father’s cancer had metastasized into his bones and further, and was very painful, according to NBC News. The Straits Times ties the spread to the May 2025 disclosure, and neither report explains the timeline.
The memoir is due out Nov. 17 and covers his four years in the White House, according to publisher Hachette Book Group, as reported by NBC News. Biden suspended his 2024 re-election bid and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris after mounting pressure to step aside. Since leaving office, he has kept a low profile. A 2025 book revealed concerns about his declining mental faculties during his presidency, which aides allegedly tried to gloss over.
Jill Biden told NBC News: "I think Joe will live with cancer till the rest of his life."
It is unclear how many public appearances Biden will make to promote the memoir. The available reporting does not say whether his office has commented beyond his post, or whether the book tour has been formally changed. No independent medical confirmation of his current condition is cited. The key facts rely on two outlets, NBC News and the Straits Times, and the Straits Times piece appears to be a shortened version of a Bloomberg report.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.