Biden Says Cancer Will Limit Book Tour for 'Promise Me, America'
Former President Joe Biden said Sunday that his cancer will keep him from doing as many conversations about his new book as he had hoped. He shared the news in a social media post.
The book is a memoir, which is a book an author writes about his own life. It is titled Promise Me, America and is due out on November 17. It is expected to cover his four years in the White House. Town & Country reported that Biden started writing it when he received his cancer diagnosis.
Biden announced in May 2025 that he had stage 4 prostate cancer. Stage 4 means the cancer has spread beyond its original site, in his case to his bones. His office said at the time that the cancer appeared to be hormone-sensitive, a type that responds to hormone-blocking treatment and can be managed over time. Since then, he has had radiation therapy and surgery to remove skin cancer lesions.
In his post, Biden described cancer as a disease known all too well to millions of Americans and their families. He also said his treatment slows him down, and that some days are harder than others. NBC News reported that he had planned a tour to promote the book and now expects to scale it back.
Biden is 83 years old. He also posted a short update about the book on his official Facebook account.
The memoir is not only about his health. AP News reported that the book criticizes Donald Trump and the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The new title echoes an earlier book. In Promise Me, Dad, Biden wrote about his son Beau's cancer and death. That book was also about illness and a family's grief, and it gave readers a close look at how the Biden family spoke about hard things.
Biden has not said how many events he will still hold. His post suggested the book will still come out on schedule, with fewer appearances than he first planned.
