Former President and Penn professor Joe Biden recently completed a round of radiation therapy to treat prostate cancer at Penn Medicine. 

The Oct. 20 announcement comes after the former president announced that he had been diagnosed with an advanced stage of prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones in May. Biden — who is also a former Benjamin Franklin Professor of Presidential Practice — reportedly underwent weeks of treatment at Penn Med’s Radiation Oncology clinic in Philadelphia.

“I can confirm reporting and that he completed a course of radiation therapy,” a Biden spokesperson wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian. 

Biden’s daughter and 2010 School of Social Policy and Practice graduate Ashley Biden, posted a social media showing the former president ringing a silver bell alongside a Penn Med doctor at the clinic. Accompanying it was the caption, “Rung the Bell! Thank you to the incredible doctors, nurses, and staff at Penn Medicine. We are so grateful!”

Ringing a bell is a common tradition of cancer treatment, signifying the end of a phase of treatment and improvement in a patient’s progress. It is not confirmed at this point whether Biden will need to undergo any more cancer treatments.

Apart from his prostate cancer treatment, Biden also underwent a skin cancer surgery in September to treat basal cell carcinoma. The procedure involved removing thin cancerous layers of skin from the affected area until only cancer-free tissue remained. 

In 2023, while completing his term as president, Biden also had a cancerous lesion removed from his chest. 

During his time as vice president under former President Barack Obama, Biden launched an initiative to cure cancer during a discussion at Penn Med’s Abramson Cancer Center.

At the time he announced his decision, Biden called for a “moon shot in this country to cure cancer” and promised to devote his remaining time as vice president to achieving this goal. The plan was reignited during Biden’s term as president.

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