Former US President Joe Biden said his ongoing treatment for aggressive prostate cancer will limit the number of public appearances and interviews he can make to promote his memoir, which is due to be published on Nov 17.
Biden said some days are better than others and that the illness sometimes slows him down. He said he would not be able to hold as many conversations about the book as he had hoped. He said his doctors remain encouraged by how he has responded to treatment. He gave no new medical details.
The memoir, “Promise Me, America”, is published by Little, Brown and Company. The 480-page book will be released in hardcover, ebook and audiobook formats, with a large-print edition also listed. The publisher’s US prices are $42 for the hardcover and $16.99 for the ebook. The date has not changed.
What the book covers
The publisher describes the book as Biden’s account of his four years in the White House. It covers taking office two weeks after the Jan 6 attack on the US Capitol, the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic recovery and domestic legislation including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It also covers foreign policy, including NATO and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The book also deals with his decision to seek re-election in 2024 and his withdrawal from the race. Biden announced on July 21, 2024 that he would not continue his campaign and endorsed then Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose to Donald Trump. His performance in the June 27, 2024 debate against Trump had intensified concerns among Democrats about his age and stamina.
The book will appear two weeks after the Nov 3 US midterm elections and three days before Biden turns 84 on Nov 20.
Cancer diagnosis and treatment
Biden’s office announced on May 18, 2025 that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. It had a Gleason score of 9, which is Grade Group 5, the highest category, and had spread to the bones. His office described it as hormone-sensitive.
In October 2025, his office confirmed he was receiving hormone therapy and radiation. He completed a course of radiation on Oct 20, 2025. In September this year, Biden said the radiation had “worked as intended”.
In August, his son Hunter Biden said in a BBC interview that the cancer had spread beyond the bones and described his father’s condition as painful and debilitating.
Public appearances
Biden has kept a limited public schedule since leaving office in January 2025. His appearances this year include a South Carolina Democratic Party event on Feb 27, the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 18, a Maryland Democratic Party gala on June 27, and the 25th anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks in New York on Sept 11.
The memoir goes on sale on Nov 17.
