Former US president Joe Biden has thanked supporters for lifting him and his wife "up with love" after being diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.
Mr Biden, 82, was diagnosed on May 16 after he experienced "urinary symptoms" and a "nodule" was discovered on his prostate.
In his first public message since the announcement, Mr Biden wrote on social media:
"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."
In the wake of the cancer diagnosis, many people, including US President Donald Trump, former president Barack Obama and former vice-president Kamala Harris, have offered Mr Biden their support.
Ms Harris said she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were saddened to hear about his diagnosis.
"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," she wrote in a social media post.
And Buckingham Palace said King Charles III had written privately to Mr Biden to offer his support and best wishes.
A statement from the former president's office said he and his family were reviewing treatment options.
"The cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management."
Trump questions cancer announcement
Despite offering well wishes, Mr Trump questioned whether the American people had a clear picture of Mr Biden's health during his presidential tenure.
"I'm surprised that the public wasn't notified a long time ago because to get to stage 9, that's a long time," Mr Trump told reporters.
Mr Vance also voiced similar concerns when speaking to reporters in Rome.
"Why didn't the American people have a better sense of his health picture?" Mr Vance said.
"Why didn't the American people have more accurate information about what he was actually dealing with?
"This is serious stuff."
Herbert Lepor, a urologist at NYU Langone Health, told Reuters, that given the available screening options, it was "a bit unusual in the modern era to detect cancers at this late stage".
