Former first lady Dr. Jill Biden shared new details about former President Joe Biden’s health journey, revealing that he was waking up “seven times a night” before he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
During an interview on SiriusXM’s Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa on Wednesday, Aug. 5, Jill said she had previously raised concerns with White House doctors about her husband’s frequent nighttime awakenings, but she believed the issue had been addressed.
However, after the couple left the White House in January 2025 and the problem continued, Jill said she urged Joe to seek further medical attention. “Joe, we’ve got to go up to Jeff in Philly — something’s wrong,” she recalled telling him.
Biden, now 83, was later diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones. Jill, 75, explained that because the cancer had metastasized, her husband will continue living with the disease and requires ongoing monitoring, including regular tests and medication.
“We have to be mindful of it every three months, testing and medicines,” Jill said, adding that anyone who has experienced a cancer journey knows how challenging and constant it can be.
She also reflected on the loss of her stepson Beau Biden, who died from glioblastoma in 2015, saying her family has faced the realities of cancer many times before.
In a previous interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Jill said she was surprised by the diagnosis because Joe had undergone extensive medical evaluations while serving as president. She said she believed he received excellent care but wondered how the cancer was not detected earlier.
Jill explained that one of Joe’s doctors told her that, based on recommendations from the American Urological Association, routine prostate cancer blood screenings are generally not recommended for men over 70 because the disease can often develop slowly.
Despite noticing that something seemed wrong, Jill said she never imagined the cause would be prostate cancer.
Kelly Ripa also pushed back against claims that the Biden family had hidden the diagnosis, sharing that her own father experienced a similar situation. She explained that her father only discovered cancer in his bones after being involved in a car accident.
Ripa said that without the accident, doctors may not have found the cancer when they did, adding that it showed how unexpected medical discoveries can sometimes happen.
In addition, a spokesperson for Biden confirmed in September 2025 that the former president also underwent Mohs surgery, a procedure commonly used to treat certain types of skin cancer.
Jill Biden said that while her husband’s cancer cannot be completely eliminated, he is continuing treatment and is “doing okay.”