'I'm surprised the public wasn't informed long ago': Donald Trump suggests Joe Biden's cancer was known long before

"I'm surprised the public wasn't informed a long time ago," the Republican told reporters, stressing that it takes "a long time to get (...) to a stage 9."

Mr. Biden's office announced Sunday that the 82-year-old former president had been diagnosed a few days earlier with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer with "bone metastases."

A cancer of level 9 on the Gleason score , which assesses the aggressiveness of prostate cancers on a scale of up to 10.

The diagnosis has rekindled speculation that his entourage may have concealed the Democrat's declining health during his term.

Common cancer

Although prostate cancer is generally diagnosed earlier than other cancers through routine screening, it is not impossible that Joe Biden's cancer slipped through the cracks or developed quickly, according to several specialists interviewed by AFP.

"It's not uncommon for a man to be diagnosed with metastatic prostate disease despite normal annual screening," says Otis Brawley, a professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University.

This highlights the known limitations of screening tests, namely digital rectal examinations and measurement of PSA (a prostate-specific antigen) levels, and the fact that they are not necessarily recommended for people over 70 years of age.

And "we cannot exclude the possibility that it is an aggressive form that has developed quickly," also notes oncologist Natacha Naoun, from the French Gustave-Roussy Institute.

Prostate cancer – a gland located near the bladder – is the most common cancer in men and is the second leading cause of cancer death in this population.

"The President and his family are evaluating treatment options with his doctors," Biden's office said in its statement.

The Bidens have already been affected by the disease, with the former president's eldest son, Beau, dying of brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46. During his term, the Democrat launched a major research and funding initiative aimed at reducing cancer mortality by 50% in 25 years.

"Love and encouragement"

Messages of support poured in after the diagnosis was announced.

Current President Donald Trump initially said he was "saddened" by the news, wishing a "speedy recovery" to his predecessor, whose physical and cognitive abilities he had mocked for years.

"Joe is a fighter," said former Vice President Kamala Harris, who entered the 2024 presidential race after Biden withdrew amid concerns about his health after a disastrous debate with the Republican.

King Charles III, who himself is suffering from cancer, wrote a letter to the Democrat, according to Buckingham Palace.

"Thank you for supporting us with love and encouragement," Biden wrote in a brief social media post Monday morning, alongside a photo of himself with his wife.

Calamitous debate

The controversy over the Democrat's gradual decline during his term was reignited on Saturday by the release of a 2023 audiotape in which the then-president loses track of key dates in his life.

An investigative book to be released Tuesday also recounts how the White House hid from the world the growing weaknesses of a president who long clung to his re-election bid .

A book described on Monday as "political nonsense" and a "pack of lies" by the Democrat's granddaughter, Naomi Biden, on X.

Joe Biden, who was the oldest US president in history, recently denied experiencing cognitive decline at the end of his term.

"After I withdrew from the presidential race, I was president for another six months, and I did a good job," he told ABC in early May.