WASHINGTON — Former U.S. president Joe Biden says he is scaling back plans to promote his upcoming memoir as he battles aggressive prostate cancer, acknowledging that the illness sometimes leaves him struggling. The 83-year-old Democrat, whose health was a major issue during his presidency, said Sunday that he would be unable to make as many public appearances as he had hoped ahead of the November 17 release of "Promise Me, America." "Some days are better than others. It hasn't stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down," Biden wrote on X. "What that means is, unfortunately, I won't be able to do as many conversations about my book as I'd hoped. However, I'm hopeful the words on the page speak for themselves." Biden announced in May 2025, four months after leaving the White House, that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. He has since undergone radiation and hormone therapy, while his son Hunter said in August that the disease had spread further and was causing considerable pain. Biden struck an optimistic note about his treatment