Joe Biden ended a half-century career in public office after a rough final year that saw him drop out of the 2024 presidential race amid questions about his age and fitness. Now, he has returned to the national spotlight after it was announced that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this month.

A Biden spokesperson said on May 18 that the former president has been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer that has spread to the bone. Biden was diagnosed after “experiencing urinary symptoms,” and a “nodule” was discovered on his prostate, according to the statement.

The former commander-in-chief, who left the White House and headed straight to California for vacation, has stayed low-key for months. The cancer diagnosis came as Biden, 82, was starting to grapple publicly with Donald Trump‘s presidency, which some Democrats blame on his decision to wait so long to exit the 2024 race.

Biden began to reemerge publicly over the last month, giving a speech in Chicago, followed by an appearance on ABC’s “The View,” and then with an interview with the BBC. Biden said on “The View” that he was “trying to figure out what the most significant and consequential role I can play” post presidency.

Now his plans are being upended by a significant health fight.

Biden’s makes first public address since leaving the White House

Biden’s first speech since leaving the White House came on April 15 in Chicago as Trump approached the 100-day mark of his presidency. The former president criticized his successor’s opening policy blitz.

“In fewer than 100 days, this new administration has done so much damage and so much destruction,” Biden said at a national conference of Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago. “They’ve taken a hatchet to the Social Security Administration.”

The remarks came as Democrats were distraught about the opening days of Trump’s presidency. Biden’s role in the party has been unclear as Democrats look for new, younger voices to take on Trump.

Biden finished his one term in the White House with low approval ratings and facing second-guessing from fellow Democrats. He sought to rehabilitate his image in the party, hiring a well-known Democratic operative to help.

Biden’s media blitz: Interview with the BBC, ‘The View’

Biden began making the media rounds, attempting to rehabilitate his reputation, ahead of two highly anticipated books excavating his administration’s efforts to downplay concerns about his age and acuity that many believe hobbled Democrats in 2024.

Appearing on “The View“, Biden rebuffed criticism that he waited too long to drop out of the 2024 race and maintained he would have defeated Trump in a rematch last fall. He also pushed back on those saying he experienced cognitive decline, adding: “They are wrong.”

And earlier this month, Biden told the BBC that ending his 2024 bid was “the right decision” but “just a difficult decision.”

“It was hard to say now I’m going to stop,” he told the BBC. “Things moved so quickly that it made it difficult to walk away.”

Political leaders react to Biden’s cancer diagnosis

His May 16 prostate cancer diagnosis came on the same day Axios released recordings of Biden’s five-plus hours of interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur. Hur ultimately decided not to prosecute Biden for improper possession of classified documents and asserted that jurors would have viewed Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”

Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and turned the Democratic nomination over to former Vice President Kamala Harris after a disastrous debate performance against Trump. The debate heightened concerns about Biden’s mental acuity.

Since his cancer diagnosis, Biden has received an outpouring of support from across the political spectrum. Trump, Harris, former President Barack Obama, and former President Bill Clinton have all wished Biden well on social media.

“Joe is a fighter – and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership,” Harris wrote.

Contributing: Joey Garrison, Phillip Bailey, and Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY; Reuters