Former President Joe Biden Rings the Bell After Completing Radiation Therapy Milestone in Prostate Cancer Battle

The 82-year-old Democrat, whose health has been under intense scrutiny since leaving office earlier this year, stood tall amid applause from medical staff, his daughter Ashley by his side, as the clear chime echoed through the treatment center – a universal symbol of resilience for cancer patients worldwide.

The video, shared by Ashley Biden on her Instagram story, shows the former commander-in-chief gripping the silver bell’s rope with steady hands, pulling it down with a determined smile. “Rung the bell! Dad has been so damn brave,” Ashley captioned the clip, her words laced with raw emotion. “Thank you to the incredible doctors, nurses, and staff at Penn Medicine. We are so grateful!” The post, which quickly went viral, has amassed over a million views in hours, drawing an outpouring of support from across the political spectrum. Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and several grandchildren were also present, their presence underscoring the family’s unyielding solidarity during what has been described as one of the former president’s toughest personal fights.

This milestone comes just months after Biden’s shocking May 2025 diagnosis, which revealed a Gleason score 9 prostate cancer – the most aggressive grade – that had metastasized to his bones, classifying it as stage 4. At the time, his office issued a stark but hopeful statement: “While aggressive, the cancer appears hormone-sensitive, allowing for effective management through targeted therapies.” Prostate cancer, the second most common malignancy among men in the U.S., affects one in eight males over their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. But metastatic cases like Biden’s are rarer, occurring in only about 8% of diagnoses, and often carry a more guarded prognosis. Yet, Biden’s hormone-responsive tumor has given oncologists a fighting chance, combining oral hormone blockers initiated in January with the recent radiation sessions aimed at shrinking bone lesions and alleviating pain.

Biden’s treatment journey began quietly in the post-presidency haze of early 2025. After experiencing urinary symptoms during a routine checkup, the former president underwent biopsies that uncovered the disease’s rapid progression. “It hit us like a freight train,” a close family friend told reporters off the record, echoing the Bidens’ private anguish. This isn’t the first time cancer has shadowed the family; Biden’s eldest son, Beau, succumbed to glioblastoma – a vicious brain cancer – in 2015 at age 46, an event that profoundly shaped Joe’s worldview and fueled his advocacy for cancer research through the Biden Cancer Initiative. The irony is poignant: a man who promised to “end cancer as we know it” now stares it down personally.

Public disclosure came on May 15, 2025, via a measured press release from Biden’s Wilmington office. “President Biden was diagnosed with prostate cancer following recent medical evaluations,” it read. “He is in good spirits and remains committed to his ongoing work.” The announcement, timed just four months after his January inauguration handoff to President Kamala Harris, reignited debates over his health during the 2024 campaign. Critics, including former President Donald Trump, had long questioned Biden’s fitness, pointing to gaffes and a halting debate performance as evidence of frailty. Trump’s immediate response on Truth Social was predictably barbed: “Sleepy Joe finally admits what we all knew – he’s been checked out for years. But hey, congrats on the bell, folks pay for that too!” Yet, even in conservative circles, the news elicited a rare bipartisan hush, with House Speaker Mike Johnson offering prayers and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it “a reminder that illness doesn’t discriminate.”

Radiation therapy commenced in mid-September, a five-week regimen of precisely targeted beams designed to zap malignant cells while sparing healthy tissue. Sessions at Penn Medicine – a stone’s throw from Biden’s ancestral Delaware roots – lasted about 20 minutes each, five days a week. “It’s not easy; the fatigue creeps in like an old enemy,” Biden confided to reporters during a brief September sighting at Janssen’s Market in Wilmington, where he sported a fresh scar from a concurrent skin cancer excision on his chest. Hormone therapy, via daily pills, suppresses testosterone – the fuel for prostate tumors – and has shown promising early scans, with tumor markers dropping 30% by October, per sources close to his care team.

The bell-ringing tradition, born in the 1990s at MD Anderson Cancer Center, has since proliferated to facilities nationwide. It’s more than ritual; it’s catharsis. Patients, often cloaked in vulnerability, strike the gong to declare victory over a treatment phase, their echoes inspiring others in the waiting rooms. For Biden, it was a full-circle nod to his Scranton steel-worker grit. “Joe’s always been the fighter who gets back up,” said Dr. Neha Vapiwala, president of the American Society for Radiation Oncology and Biden’s lead oncologist, who joined him for the ceremony. Vapiwala, a trailblazer in prostate brachytherapy, praised Biden’s compliance: “He’s adhered meticulously, even turning sessions into teachable moments for fellow patients.”

Social media erupted with tributes, transcending partisan lines. GeorgiaPeach Forever46, a prolific Biden supporter, posted photos of the event with the caption: “Today Our @JoeBiden got to ring the bell on this phase of his cancer treatment!! 🙏🏼💙🙏🏼,” garnering over 116,000 likes. Nurses Against Dick Pics, a cheeky advocacy account, shared: “President Biden finished his radiation therapy and rang the bell today. 🔔,” racking up 38,000 engagements. Even skeptics chimed in; one user, @AlanJonWarner, wrote: “I am not in his corner politically but I am medically. Ringing the bell is a huge deal which means they can no longer detect any cancer cells. Glad Biden is healthier now.” Mario Nawfal, host of X’s largest live show, broadcast the moment live: “Biden has finished a round of radiation therapy… calling him ‘so damn brave.’”

Biden’s cancer odyssey intersects with broader public health narratives. Prostate cancer disparities disproportionately burden Black men, who face 1.7 times higher mortality rates, a gap Biden addressed in his 2023 Cancer Moonshot relaunch. Post-White House, he’s funneled energy into the initiative, hosting summits and securing $2 billion in federal funding for immunotherapy trials. “Cancer doesn’t care about your zip code or your politics,” he said in a June virtual address, his voice steady despite the irony. This fight also spotlights survivorship: with five-year survival for metastatic prostate cancer hovering at 30-35%, hormone-radiation combos like Biden’s are extending lives, buying precious time for breakthroughs in CAR-T therapies and PSMA-targeted radioligands.

Yet, questions linger. Spokesperson Kelly Scully confirmed to multiple outlets, including CNN and NBC, that “he rang the bell today,” but demurred on next steps: “Doctors will assess progress in the coming weeks.” Further radiation? Chemotherapy? Or vigilant monitoring? Uncertainty clouds the horizon, compounded by Biden’s age – he’ll turn 83 in November – and a recent basal cell carcinoma removal in September. His first post-treatment public outing, attending Mass in Wilmington on October 18, revealed a slower gait and a visible facial scar from minor procedures, fueling speculation about his vigor for upcoming engagements, like a Boston lifetime achievement award this Sunday.

Politically, the bell’s ring reverberates. Biden’s endorsement propelled Harris to victory in November 2024, but whispers of his undisclosed health woes during the campaign persist. A forthcoming memoir, teased in July, promises candor: “No more filters – the good, the tough, the unbreakable.” Allies like Barack Obama lauded the moment: “Joe’s courage reminds us why we fight – for each other, against every shadow.” On the right, Fox News framed it as “a human story amid the headlines,” with host Sean Hannity noting, “Even warriors need grace.”

Beyond Biden, this event humanizes the 1.5 million Americans battling advanced cancers annually. The Cleveland Clinic reports radiation eases symptoms in 70-80% of metastatic prostate cases, often restoring quality of life. Biden’s openness – sharing scans on his personal X account – destigmatizes the disease, encouraging screenings. “Men delay because it’s embarrassing,” says Dr. Otis Brawley, former ACS chief. “Joe’s bell could save lives.”

As the echoes fade, Biden retreats to Rehoboth Beach for rest, scribbling notes for his next speech: on empathy in adversity. In a world fractured by division, his simple act – one pull, one ring – stitches a thread of shared humanity. It’s a testament to the man who navigated impeachments, pandemics, and personal griefs: unbreakable, even when bent. For now, the bell tolls not an end, but a defiant “not yet.” America watches, prays, and – across aisles – cheers.