Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis: These 5 US Presidents Kept Their Health Issues Secret
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Last Updated: May 21, 2025, 11:58 IST
Former US President Joe Biden (Image Credit: Associated Press)
Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis: Former US President Joe Biden announced that he has been diagnosed with an 'aggressive" prostate cancer. In a statement, he said that his cancer was characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) and has spread to his bones. In the wake of Joe Biden's disclosure, a spotlight has been cast on a long-standing historical trend: secret illnesses among US presidents. Several past US Presidents went to extraordinary lengths to conceal serious health conditions from the American public, often driven by fears of political instability, public alarm, or market panic.
As per a study done by the University of Arizona, at least five US presidents successfully hid significant health issues during their time in office- to maintain an image of vigor and capability while they were in office.
A Look At US Presidents Who Hid Their Illnesses
Chester A. Arthur: Less than a year into his presidency in the 1880s, Chester A. Arthur was diagnosed with Bright's disease, a fatal kidney illness. Biographers suggest the condition was more accurately glomerulonephritis, leading to a slow poisoning of his body. His health rapidly declined, and he died just two years after leaving office in 1886. The public remained largely unaware of the true severity of his condition.
Grover Cleveland: In 1893, as the US faced a financial depression, Grover Cleveland secretly underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from the roof of his mouth. The procedure was performed aboard his friend's yacht, the Oneida, to prevent public alarm or market instability. White House aides falsely announced he had merely had a tooth removed. A biopsy of the lesion, sent anonymously, confirmed it as carcinoma.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Despite being almost entirely confined to a wheelchair due to polio, Franklin D. Roosevelt meticulously maintained an image of mobility during his four terms. With the complicity of reporters, who largely photographed him above the waist and rarely showed him in his wheelchair, his disability was largely kept hidden from the American public.
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John F. Kennedy: John F. Kennedy suffered from numerous undisclosed illnesses throughout his life, including severe back pain and symptoms consistent with Addison's disease, though this was officially denied by his campaign in 1960. As a child, he battled stomach problems, scarlet fever, and a mysterious debilitating blood condition. His father reportedly used influence to get his health record overlooked so he could join the Navy.
Woodrow Wilson: Woodrow Wilson suffered multiple strokes before and during his presidency. A particularly severe stroke in 1919 left him incapacitated for the remainder of his term. A comprehensive cover-up, led by his second wife Edith and his physician, Dr. Grayson, ensued. The University of Arizona Health Sciences Library noted that 'they thought that it would be best if Wilson was not informed of just how serious his condition truly was," keeping voters unaware of the critical medical issues that could have significantly impacted presidential decision-making during his final years in office. News world Joe Biden's Cancer Diagnosis: These 5 US Presidents Kept Their Health Issues Secret
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