May 19, 2025
From Jimmy Carter to Joe Biden: US Presidents Who Fought Cancer
George Washington was treated for a skin condition believed to be melanoma in 1794. The affected area was successfully removed, and he took precautions to protect his skin from sun exposure
Ulysses S. Grant was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1884, seven years after his presidency. He suffered painful symptoms and died from the disease in 1885
Grover Cleveland secretly underwent surgery aboard a yacht in 1893 for a cancerous tumor in his mouth during his second term. He recovered and completed his term without public knowledge
Calvin Coolidge was suspected to have skin cancer due to a facial lesion, but was never officially diagnosed. He died in 1933 from a heart attack with no formal cancer record
Franklin D. Roosevelt may have had melanoma based on a dark lesion above his eye but was never publicly diagnosed. He died in 1945 from a cerebral hemorrhage
Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1985 while president. He underwent surgery, recovered fully, and was also treated for non-melanoma skin cancers
George HW Bush was treated for non-melanoma skin cancers on his face and scalp during later years but did not suffer from major cancer diagnoses
Bill Clinton had basal cell carcinoma skin cancer removed from his face in the early 2000s after leaving office. He made a full recovery
Jimmy Carter was diagnosed with melanoma that spread to his liver and brain in 2015. After surgery and immunotherapy, he was declared cancer-free
Joe Biden was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. It is hormone-sensitive, and he is currently reviewing treatment options
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