Pope Leo XIV Needs No Further Treatment After Lung Surgery, Doctors Say
Final histological and molecular tests confirmed a localized pulmonary adenocarcinoma removed during surgery on 13 October. An oncological review concluded that no additional therapy is required, and the Pope is now recovering while plans for his November trip to South America remain under review.
Pope Leo XIV will not require any further treatment following surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his right lung, his doctors have said. Final histological examinations and molecular biology tests on the tissue removed during the operation confirmed a localized pulmonary adenocarcinoma, and a subsequent oncological assessment established that no additional therapy is necessary.
The update was issued by Dr Luigi Carbone, the Pope's personal physician, and Professor Stefano Margaritora, the surgeon who led the operation at Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic. Their statement confirmed that the disease was confined and had not spread beyond the area that was removed.
The clinical episode unfolded over roughly ten days. On 11 October, the Pope used the Angelus prayer to tell the faithful that doctors had detected a small, well-defined nodule during routine checks, at a very early stage. Following specialist advice, he decided to have it removed. He was admitted to the Gemelli on 12 October, and the operation took place on the afternoon of 13 October.
During the procedure, the surgical team removed the lower lobe of the right lung using a video-assisted technique intended to make the excision complete. The operation lasted about 90 minutes within roughly three hours in the operating theatre and concluded without complications. An intraoperative histological examination had already confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma.
The post-operative course proceeded normally. The Pope gradually resumed activities compatible with his convalescence, including celebrating Mass in a chapel set up on the tenth floor of the hospital. On 17 October, after blood tests, a chest X-ray and an overall clinical assessment, doctors judged him fit for discharge. He left the hospital in the early afternoon and returned to the Vatican, earlier than the roughly one-week stay initially indicated by the Holy See press office.
On Sunday 18 October, Leo XIV returned to address the faithful with the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment, thanking all those who had shown him closeness and assured him of their prayers. He said he felt close to those going through the same illness. On Wednesday, he returned to St Peter's Square for his first general audience since the surgery, waving to pilgrims from an open popemobile and blessing babies. In his opening words he again thanked the crowd for their support and prayers, without referring specifically to his health, saying «Thanks be to God for your generosity» as applause rang out.
The Pope, who is 71, now faces a period of convalescence with a gradual resumption of commitments in line with medical advice. An apostolic journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, scheduled for 6 to 17 November, had been confirmed by the Pope in his intentions, but the organization of the appointments remains tied to an assessment of his condition and recovery times.
For the Catholic world, the medical bulletin closes a period of uncertainty that began with the Pope's surprise announcement at the Angelus. The confirmation that the disease was localized and that no further therapy is needed removes the most immediate questions about his treatment, though the coming weeks will show how quickly he can return to the full rhythm of papal duties and whether the South American trip goes ahead as planned.
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