Signs of prostate cancer as Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form

Former US president Joe Biden has confirmed that he's been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. This is everything you need to know about the signs and symptoms of the disease.

On Sunday evening, a statement from the 82-year-old's personal office revealed that he was diagnosed on Friday after he saw a doctor last week for urinary symptoms, and that the 'aggressive' cancer has sadly already spread to his bones.

The illness was characterised by a Gleason score of nine out of 10, which, according to Cancer Research UK, suggests that the cancer cells 'look very abnormal' and are likely to spread quickly.

The statement read: "Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.

"On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.

"While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management."

Biden was also vice president under Barack Obama (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Leaders from across the world, including Donald Trump, Keir Starmer and Barack Obama were all quick to pay tribute to the 46th president, who pulled out of last year's election over concerns about his health, and was replaced by Kamala Harris.

What is prostate cancer and what are the symptoms?

The prostate is a small walnut-sized organ only people assigned male at birth have. It wraps around the urethra - the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the penis - and produces a fluid that mixes with sperm to make semen.

Prostate cancer can be extremely dangerous as symptoms don't usually show until the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra.

Once this has occurred, common symptoms revolve around an increased desire, and difficulty, to pass urine.

The NHS suggest that those with prostate cancer will need to pee more frequently, often during the night and will often feel like they need to rush to the toilet, but also experience difficulty when starting to pee.

It can also take a long time or require straining while visiting the bathroom, due to a weak flow and the feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully.

Worrying signs also include blood in your urine or semen.

Joe Biden has already received messages of support from around the world (Bruce Glikas/WireImage)

However, these symptoms do not always mean you have prostate cancer. Many men's prostates get larger as they get older because of a non-cancerous condition called benign prostate enlargement.

Signs that the cancer may have spread include bone and back pain, a loss of appetite, pain in the testicles and unintentional weight loss.

The risk of prostate cancer only increases with age in men, with the most common age of diagnosis coming in those over the age of 70.

If you think you're at risk, then visit your GP. Prostate cancer screenings are also commonly offered at football matches throughout the season.