Following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, national media quickly turned to Dr. Geoffrey Sonn, a leading urologic oncologist at Stanford University, for clarity. Sonn, who specializes in prostate and kidney cancers, has emphasized that while metastatic prostate cancer is serious, it is often manageable for long periods. He explained that major medical advances over the past decade have transformed outcomes, allowing many patients to live productive lives for years after diagnosis.

“This Is Often a Long-Term Condition”
Dr. Sonn noted that prostate cancer behaves very differently from more aggressive cancers such as pancreatic cancer. In interviews with Politico, The Los Angeles Times, and others, he explained that modern hormone-based therapies can slow disease progression significantly. Most patients are placed on testosterone-suppressing treatments, which can shrink tumors and delay further spread, sometimes for a decade or longer.

Why the Diagnosis Came Now
Sonn also addressed questions about screening, explaining that PSA testing is often reduced in men over 75 due to medical guidelines. His commentary has helped calm speculation, reinforcing that in 2025, prostate cancer is often a controllable condition — not an immediate crisis.