Pope Leo XIV’s Doctors Say No Further Cancer Treatment Is Needed
Pope Leo XIV does not need further treatment following surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his right lung, his doctors have said. A statement shared by the Vatican said tests on tissue removed during the operation confirmed the initial diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. The disease was localized, and a subsequent oncological assessment found that no additional treatment was necessary.
The 71-year-old pontiff underwent a 90-minute operation on 13 October, during which surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. He had told people gathered for his weekly Sunday prayers in St Peter’s Square that doctors had found a lung nodule. He said it had been detected at an early stage.
He was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital over the weekend, four days after the operation. As he left the hospital grounds, he stopped to speak with well-wishers. On Wednesday, he held his first weekly general audience since his discharge in St Peter’s Square. Images shared on Friday had shown him celebrating Mass at the hospital, wearing green vestments and standing behind a makeshift altar.
During his hospital stay, the Pope also spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Vatican said he urged a ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow food aid to be delivered, and called for dialogue and peace. On Monday, he had a similar telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
People close to the Pope have said he was keen not to delay a planned trip to Latin America in early November. The Vatican’s latest medical statement addressed whether he needed further cancer treatment but gave no additional details about that trip. His Wednesday audience was his first weekly gathering with the public since leaving hospital, following the operation and the doctors’ assessment of the removed tissue.