Biden Says Cancer Will Cut Back His Memoir Promotion Tour

Former President Joe Biden said Sunday that his cancer will limit how much he can promote his presidential memoir, "Promise Me, America," which is due out Nov. 17. In a post on X, he said he will not be able to do as many conversations about the book as he had hoped.

Biden said his doctors remain encouraged by how he has responded to treatment, according to Fox News and Deadline. He added that he hopes the book will speak for itself.

What Biden said about his health and the book

In the post, Biden described the effect of the illness in plain terms. "Some days are better than others," he wrote, adding that the cancer has not stopped him but sometimes slows him down. CNN and Deadline both reported his comments.

He noted that he was diagnosed while writing the book. He called cancer a disease familiar to millions of Americans and their families. He thanked people for their prayers and well wishes, saying they have meant a great deal to him, his wife, Jill, and their family.

Biden also recalled advice from his father to get back up when knocked down. He called it a good lesson for him and for the country, according to Fox News.

What the memoir covers

Fox News reported that the book looks back on his four years in the White House. Topics include the COVID-19 pandemic, the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, domestic legislation, global diplomacy and his re-election bid. The bid ended when he stepped aside in 2024.

Publisher Little, Brown said, according to Deadline, that the book reveals for the first time the "agonizing calculation" behind his summer 2024 decision to leave the race. In an earlier video quoted by Deadline, Biden also said the book addresses the war in Afghanistan, NATO and support for Ukraine.

What is known about his diagnosis

Biden disclosed his cancer in May 2025, less than four months after leaving office, CNN reported. Fox News described it as an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.

His office said at the time that the cancer appeared to be a more aggressive form but also appeared to be hormone-sensitive. The office said that characteristic allows for effective management, according to CNN.

CNN also reported that Biden's son Hunter told the BBC in August that the cancer had spread into his father's bones and further. Hunter Biden said it was sad to watch and that he wishes his father would complain more.

What this means for the book launch

For readers and book buyers, the practical effect is a lighter public schedule around the release. Biden said he will do fewer conversations about the book than he had planned. His post did not specify which appearances or interviews would be scaled back, and no tour schedule was provided in the reports.

His message makes clear that he expects the text itself to carry the book's message. Any detail about his 2024 decision to step aside will come mainly through the pages rather than through a long run of public events.

The timing also falls close to a personal milestone. CNN reported that Biden turns 84 on Nov. 20, three days after the book's release, and that he is the oldest living former president.

What comes next

The memoir goes on sale Nov. 17. Biden has not said how many promotional conversations he will hold, and details of any appearances had not been announced in the reports.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by Fox News, CNN, Deadline