WILMINGTON, US: Former US President Joe Biden told reporters Friday he was feeling 鈥渙ptimistic鈥� about the future after delivering his first public remarks since revealing he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
鈥淲ell, the prognosis is good. You know, we鈥檙e working on everything. It鈥檚 moving along. So, I feel good,鈥� Biden, 82, said after an event in Delaware belatedly marking Monday鈥檚 Memorial Day federal holiday.
Biden鈥檚 office announced earlier this month he is battling prostate cancer with a Gleason score of nine, which places him in the most severe category.
The veteran Democrat told reporters he had decided on a treatment regime, adding that 鈥渢he expectation is, we鈥檙e going to be able to beat this.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not in any organ, my bones are strong, it hasn鈥檛 penetrated. So I鈥檓 feeling good,鈥� he said.
The mental and physical health of the former president, the oldest person ever to hold the office, was a dominant issue in the 2024 election.
After a disastrous debate performance against Trump, Biden ended his campaign for a second term.
When Biden鈥檚 office announced his diagnosis, they said the cancer had spread to his bones.
But Biden told reporters: 鈥淲e鈥檙e all optimistic about the diagnosis. As a matter of fact, one of the leading surgeons in the world is working with me.鈥�
The political row over Biden鈥檚 aborted candidacy has become a major scandal since the release of the book 鈥淥riginal Sin鈥� 鈥� which alleges that Biden鈥檚 White House covered up his cognitive decline while he was in office.
The ex-president was asked about the controversy and responded with sarcasm, joking that 鈥淚鈥檓 mentally incompetent and I can鈥檛 walk.鈥�
He said he had no regrets about initially running for a second term, and that his Democratic critics could have challenged him but chose not to 鈥渂ecause I鈥檇 have beaten them.鈥�
In earlier formal remarks in New Castle, Delaware, Biden spoke of his presidency as his greatest honor, and called for better treatment of veterans.
But he saved his most poignant comments to mark the 10th anniversary on May 30 of his son, National Guard veteran Beau Biden, dying of brain cancer at the age of 46.
鈥淔or the Bidens, this day is the 10th anniversary, the loss of my son Beau, who spent a year in Iraq,鈥� said Biden, who had attended a memorial service for his son earlier in the day.
鈥淎nd, to be honest, it鈥檚 a hard day.鈥�