Scott Adams Shares Cancer Diagnosis Like Joe Biden’s
Scott Adams shares a cancer diagnosis like Joe Biden’s, revealing he is battling an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has already spread to his bones. The 67-year-old creator of the once-popular comic strip Dilbert announced an emotional episode of his YouTube show, Real Coffee with Scott Adams. His disclosure comes just after former U.S. President Joe Biden revealed a similar diagnosis, drawing public attention to the seriousness of the disease.
“I have the same cancer that Joe Biden has,” Adams said during the broadcast on May 19, 2025. “Prostate cancer, metastasized to the bone. It’s basically intolerable.”
This announcement not only sheds light on his current health struggles but also draws attention to a broader public health issue that affects thousands of men every year.
Facing a Terminal Illness: Pain, Reflection, and Preparation
Adams spoke candidly about the pain he endures daily, describing it as constant and debilitating. He now uses a walker to move around and admitted that the intensity of the pain often makes life unbearable.
“Every day is painful. There are no good days,” he said, adding that his evenings are particularly hard to get through.
Realizing that time was short, Adams explained that he was grateful to have had the opportunity to reconcile with his diagnosis and prepare to die. He explained that he has done the things he has done, including saying goodbye to loved ones, getting his affairs in order, and reflecting on his life and legacy.
“I’ve had the time to get things in order. That’s a privilege many people don’t get,” he said during the episode.
Echoes of a Presidential Diagnosis
Adams announced his diagnosis only a day before President Joe Biden announced his diagnosis with metastatic prostate cancer. Biden has his fight against an aggressive form of the disease and is meeting with doctors and family members today about potential treatments.
The coincidence of their diagnoses suggests an invisible epidemic. Prostate cancer continues to rank among the leading cancers in men worldwide. More than 34,000 men in the United States die every year from prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, with too many of these cases being found too late.
Scott Adams and the Legacy of Dilbert
Dilbert was a syndicated American comic strip mainstay for a decade. It first appeared in 1989 and caught on with its satirical view of the corporate culture as much as the workplace. Dilbert was syndicated to more than 2,000 newspapers in 65 nations at its peak and was published in 25 languages.
However, Adams’ reputation took a sharp downturn in early 2023, when he made controversial and racially charged statements during another episode of his YouTube show. In that broadcast, Adams referred to Black Americans as a “hate group” and advised white people to “get the hell away” from them.
The backlash was swift. Major newspapers, including The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and San Francisco Chronicle, dropped the comic strip overnight. Many media outlets cited the comments as openly racist, divisive, and harmful.
Even after the backlash, Adams continued to defend his statements as being hyperbolic or intentionally provocative, a stance that only fueled further criticism.
“It stopped being funny and started being mean,” said Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Chronicle, one of the first publications to drop the strip.
Rebirth and Reinvention Amid Controversy
Despite losing his syndication, Adams did not retreat from the public eye. He launched a digital version of his comic, Dilbert Reborn, which is available exclusively through subscription. Although it never reached the widespread popularity of the original, the project maintained a loyal online following and allowed Adams to continue expressing his views freely.
In recent months, his public presence had dwindled somewhat until the latest episode in which he revealed his terminal illness.
A Public Figure Confronts Mortality
Adams’s diagnosis and open acknowledgment of his terminal condition have prompted renewed public attention, not just for his health, but for the complicated legacy he leaves behind. Many see him as a visionary humorist whose work defined workplace satire. Others remember the controversies that clouded his final years in the spotlight.
What remains undisputed, however, is his willingness to speak openly about his experience with cancer. Unlike many public figures who might choose privacy, Adams shares the final chapter of his life in real time, using his platform to reflect on mortality, meaning, and the end-of-life journey.
He also spoke positively about California’s End of Life Option Act, a law that allows terminally ill adults to request medical aid in dying. Adams said he supports giving people more dignity and choice in how they face death, a view that may resonate with many others enduring similar conditions.
Raising Awareness: The Silent Threat of Prostate Cancer
While Scott Adams’ diagnosis drew headlines because of his public profile, it also highlights a larger issue that doesn’t receive enough attention: n—late-stage prostate cancer in aging men.
Prostate cancer often develops slowly and is difficult to detect in its early stages. However, once it metastasizes, it can become extremely aggressive and nearly impossible to treat. Common symptoms, such as difficulty urinating or persistent pain in the lower back, are often mistaken for normal signs of aging, leading many to delay seeking medical advice.
Health experts continue to stress the importance of regular screenings, particularly for men over 50, or earlier if there’s a family history of the disease. The five-year survival rate for localized prostate cancer is nearly 100%, but once the cancer spreads to distant parts of the body, the survival rate plummets to under 31%.
Final Words and a Complex Farewell
Adams concluded his YouTube broadcast by thanking his fans and supporters who have stood by him throughout his career, er even during its more turbulent chapters. He did not ask for sympathy, but rather offered a realistic, if somber, look at what it means to face death with open eyes.
“There’s peace in knowing,” he said. “Knowing what’s coming. And making the most of what little time is left.”
In the end, Scott Adams’ story is about more than illness. It’s about legacy—both the kind one creates in public and the kind one reconciles in private. Whether remembered as a provocative cartoonist, a fallen icon, or a voice for end-of-life choice, Adams’ story is undeniably human. And perhaps, that is the truest part of his narrative.
Conclusion: A Message Beyond the Headlines
While Scott Adams’ past may be controversial, his current situation reminds us that disease knows no bias, no political affiliation, and no societal status. His diagnosis mirrors that of President Biden, reinforcing the reality that prostate cancer continues to affect countless men, regardless of background or beliefs.
As Adams faces his final months, his openness may help shed light on the importance of early detection, empathetic care, and open conversations around death and dignity. For all his complexities, Adams has offered the public a raw, unfiltered view into one of life’s most difficult battles—a view that transcends politics, cartoons, and controversy.
Former President Joe Biden also revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis just a day earlier, announcing he was evaluating treatment options with his doctors.