President Joe Biden, at 82, has reportedly been diagnosed with prostate cancer, making him the latest in a troubling trend among U.S. presidents to face life-threatening diseases. Biden, who served as the 46th President from 2020 to 2024, is now part of a group of leaders whose health challenges have shaped — and sometimes ended — their legacies.

9 U.S. Presidents Diagnosed with Cancer — 7 Have Died

Biden is the ninth American president diagnosed with cancer. Of these nine, seven have died, and two — George W. Bush and Bill Clinton — are still battling the disease. That means nearly 20% of all U.S. presidents have faced cancer, according to statistics from Statista.

However, not all succumbed directly to the disease. Some, like Ronald Reagan, had cancer but died from complications such as pneumonia. Jimmy Carter, too, fought cancer but ultimately passed due to age-related illnesses.

Notable Names Among the Cancer-Struck Presidents

Presidents who battled cancer include:

• George Washington
• Grover Cleveland
• Ulysses S. Grant
• Herbert Hoover
• Ronald Reagan
• Jimmy Carter
• George W. Bush (alive)
• Bill Clinton (alive)
• Joe Biden

These cases highlight how cancer has touched even the most powerful individuals, often becoming a hidden struggle behind the scenes of global leadership.

Other Presidential Deaths: Stroke, Pneumonia, Heart Attacks, and Assassinations

Beyond cancer, several other fatal conditions have cut short presidential lives.

8 Presidents Died of Stroke

Presidents like Franklin D. Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Richard Nixon died due to strokes. In total, eight U.S. presidents succumbed to this condition.

4 Died of Pneumonia

This includes:

• Benjamin Harrison
• James Buchanan
• Martin Van Buren
• Ronald Reagan (though he had cancer, pneumonia was the cause of death)

4 Were Assassinated

These high-profile assassinations shocked the world:

• Abraham Lincoln – shot at Ford's Theatre
• James Garfield
• William McKinley
• John F. Kennedy – shot in public in Dallas

Each assassination sent waves of political and emotional turmoil across the country.

Heart Attacks Claimed Several Presidents

Presidents like Warren Harding, Lyndon B. Johnson, Dwight Eisenhower, and John Adams died from heart attacks — another leading cause of death among American presidents.