Former President Joe Biden has addressed claims that he concealed his cancer diagnosis while in office, writing in his forthcoming memoir that the accusations were painful and unfounded.
Biden was diagnosed in May 2025 with an aggressive prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. In the book, he says he was taken aback by the suggestion that he or his team had known about the illness earlier. He argues that anyone with advanced cancer would wish it had been detected sooner.
In Promise Me, America, due out Nov. 17, Biden looks back on his four years as president, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, domestic policy and foreign affairs. He also recounts the discussions that led him to end his 2024 re-election campaign.
Biden wrote that the idea he would ignore or hide a serious illness was absurd. He pointed to what he described as standard medical practice: routine prostate cancer testing generally stops after a man turns 70.
His cancer treatment has affected plans to discuss the book publicly. Biden said some days are better than others and that treatment has slowed him down, meaning he will take part in fewer conversations than he had hoped. He added that he hopes readers will find the book speaks for itself.
Writing from his lake house, Biden said leaving the daily pace of the White House had given him a chance to reflect on his presidency and appreciate its results.
The memoir arrives after several books examined the Biden administration’s choices ahead of the 2024 election. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, in her 2025 book 107 Days, wrote that she later viewed her decision not to speak publicly about Biden’s re-election bid as reckless. She said the decision should not have rested solely with Biden and his family.
Former first lady Jill Biden has also written about the campaign, including her husband’s June 2024 debate performance, which preceded his decision to leave the race.
