‘Some days better than others’: Joe Biden’s memoir promotion to be limited amid cancer battle

Former US President Joe Biden has said his battle with prostate cancer will limit the number of promotional appearances he can make for his upcoming memoir, "Promise Me, America", which is due to be released on November 17.“Some days are better than others. It hasn’t stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down,” Biden, 83, wrote on social media on Sunday. He said he would not be able to take part in as many conversations about the book as he had hoped, but added that he was hopeful “the words on the page speak for themselves”.Biden’s publisher announced the memoir on July 15. The book is described as his personal account of his four years in the White House, covering his presidency, his decision to seek a second term and his eventual withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.The 480-page memoir is expected to cover his administration’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the January 6 Capitol attack, the economy, infrastructure and healthcare, as well as US foreign policy and its support for Ukraine. It will also offer Biden’s account of the decision to step aside from the presidential contest. The title echoes his 2017 memoir, Promise Me, Dad, which focused on the death of his son Beau.Biden's health has remained a concern since he disclosed his prostate cancer diagnosis in May 2025, less than four months after leaving office. His office said the cancer had a Gleason score of 9, indicating an aggressive form of the disease, and had already spread to his bones. It also said the cancer appeared to be hormone-sensitive, making it possible to manage with treatment.Biden underwent radiation therapy and hormone treatment. In September 2026, he said the radiation treatment had “worked as intended” and that his doctors had helped bring the disease under control. He did not say he was cancer-free.However, his son Hunter Biden offered a account of his condition in an interview with the BBC in August. He said the cancer had “metastasized into his bones and further”, describing it as painful and debilitating.“It’s really sad to watch,” Hunter said, adding that he wished his father would “complain more” about his health because “it’s not good”.Biden, who turns 84 on November 20, said when the memoir was announced in July that he had been spending time with his family and receiving treatment for cancer. “I’m dealing with a cancer diagnosis, been getting treatment, and it’s going really well,” he said at the time.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.