Pope Leo XIV needs no further treatment after lung cancer surgery, Vatican says

Pope Leo XIV needs no further treatment for lung cancer, the Vatican said in a statement on Wednesday. The Vatican press office said the final histological and molecular biology analyses of tissue removed during the surgery had been completed that day. The statement came from Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope's personal physician, and Prof. Stefano Margaritora, who led the surgical team. "The results have confirmed that the condition was a pulmonary adenocarcinoma and that the disease was localized," it said. "A subsequent oncological evaluation has confirmed that no further therapy is required." [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 ]

ABC News, Fox News and Newsweek reported that the pope underwent surgery on Oct. 13 at Rome's Gemelli hospital, where the lower lobe of his right lung was removed. ABC News said the procedure was minimally invasive and camera-guided, and that the Vatican said it was successful and without complications. According to Fox News, the operation lasted about 90 minutes, with about three hours in the operating room. CNN, however, reported that doctors removed the lobe of his left lung, which differs from the other outlets. [ 2 , 3 , 5 , 10 ]

The pope was discharged on Saturday, four days after surgery, and returned to the Vatican. The AP-based report said this was ahead of the week-long stay the Vatican had initially anticipated. Fox News reported that thousands of supporters gathered outside the hospital. On Sunday he appeared at the window of his residence and led a prayer. "Now that I have overcome this delicate phase, as you know, I will gradually resume my activities, always with God's help and your prayers," he said, according to CBS News. [ 3 , 5 , 8 , 12 ]

Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for roughly 40% of cases, according to CNN. The AP-based reports said additional treatment is offered if follow-up testing finds signs that the cancer has spread or might be particularly aggressive, and that surgery often can be enough when tumors are caught very early. Margaritora told Vatican News that the nodule was found by chance during routine abdominal examinations and that the pope had no symptoms. Dr. Stephen Liu said the statements suggest a stage I lung cancer for which surgery is highly effective and expected to be curative. [ 2 , 9 , 12 ]

CNN quoted Dr. Juanita Mora of the American Lung Association, who was not part of the pope's care team, as saying doctors will monitor him with follow-up CT scans every three to six months for the first few years, then annually. NBC News reported that the pope is still scheduled to leave on Nov. 6 for a 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. It quoted Margaritora as saying there are no clinical reasons why a long trip involving air travel in about three weeks should not take place. [ 2 , 6 ]