Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer was localised and had not spread, with doctors confirming that he does not require any further treatment, the Vatican has said.
The findings followed final tissue and molecular tests carried out after surgery to remove the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung. The procedure, performed at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on 13 October, confirmed that he had lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.
Dr Luigi Carbone, Pope Leo’s personal physician, and Professor Stefano Margaritora, the surgeon who led the operation, said the results confirmed the initial diagnosis but showed no evidence that the disease had spread beyond the affected area.
“A subsequent oncology assessment confirmed that no further treatment is necessary,” the doctors said in a statement released by the Vatican.
Pope Leo returned to the Vatican on Saturday, 17 October, after five days in hospital. Before leaving Gemelli, he underwent blood tests and a chest X-ray, which doctors said showed that his condition was suitable for discharge.
He has continued his recovery at the Apostolic Palace and appeared at the window of his apartment on Sunday to thank the crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square.
The 71-year-old pontiff also resumed his weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday, 21 October, less than two weeks after the operation.
Doctors had previously described his post-operative recovery as progressing normally, with the operated lung recovering well and the Pope able to walk independently and undergo respiratory physiotherapy.
