Former President Joe Biden has been a fixture in Washington since 1972, starting with his career in the Senate, followed by a combined 12 years in the White House, first as vice president and later commander-in-chief.

It’s aggressive. The cells have an ugly, disordered appearance under a microscope. Pathologists gave them a Gleason score of 9 (out of 10) for their likelihood to advance quickly. The cancer has already moved from Biden’s prostate to his bones, which means it cannot be cured — only controlled with drugs.

The announcement Sunday that former President Joe Biden was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer has some people wondering how the disease could have been missed.

Former President Joe Biden is facing an “aggressive” case of Stage 4 prostate cancer, his office announced over the weekend in a statement. “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support,” Biden posted on social media Monday morning.

“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” his personal office said in a statement. “On Friday he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.”

My father’s prostate cancer invaded his bones and our family was advised as to the need to protect him from falls or even a strong hug that could harm the brittle bones and impinge his nerves. Over the course of a painful year, the cancer had metastasized to his skull even.

Biden, even after he has exited political life and as he faces a serious cancer diagnosis, remains a factor in the conversation about his party's political future.

The hosts of ABC News’s The View took swipes at CNN, Jake Tapper, and the Trump administration as they attempted to dismiss revelations regarding former President Joe Biden‘s ‘aggressive’ cancer diagnosis and those who shielded him from the public.