Pope Leo XIV needs no further lung-cancer treatment, doctors say

What happened

Pope Leo XIV will not need additional treatment for lung cancer after follow-up tests found that the disease was localized, the Vatican said Wednesday. The announcement offers a positive medical update after the 71-year-old pontiff underwent the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate.

Doctors removed the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung at Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic last week. Final tests on the tissue confirmed adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, but found no evidence that it had spread. “No further treatment is necessary,” his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said in a statement.

The nodule was reportedly discovered incidentally during abdominal examinations, and the pope had not been experiencing symptoms. Georgetown cancer specialist Stephen Liu told AP that the results were consistent with an early-stage cancer for which surgery can be curative, although only the pope’s doctors can assess his individual prognosis.

Leo was discharged four days after surgery and has already appeared at the traditional Sunday blessing and a longer Wednesday audience. He thanked supporters for their prayers and is expected to resume activities gradually. Margaritora told Vatican News there was no clinical reason to stop the pope’s planned November 6–17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, a demanding itinerary involving flights, helicopter travel and high-altitude stops.

The pope disclosed the planned operation publicly on October 11, an unusually direct approach to papal health information. The latest statement provides reassurance, while leaving his recovery and travel schedule subject to continuing medical judgment.

Image: Eirini Pollali (@irene_poll) / Unsplash. Aerial view of Saint Peter's Square and Basilica in Vatican City; location illustration for Pope Leo XIV/Vatican coverage, with no Pope Francis claim. Image usage terms.

Sources

• Associated Press