Pope Leo XIV Needs No Further Cancer Treatment After Surgery, Vatican Confirms

Pope Leo XIV will not require further treatment for lung cancer after medical tests confirmed that the disease was localised and had not spread, the Vatican announced, offering encouraging news about the 71-year-old pontiff’s health.

Leo underwent surgery last week to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after doctors discovered a nodule during routine medical examinations. The procedure confirmed that he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.

In a statement on Wednesday, the pope’s personal physician, Dr Luigi Carbone, and surgeon Dr Stefano Margaritora said tests on the removed tissue confirmed the diagnosis but found no evidence that the cancer had spread. A subsequent oncology assessment concluded that no further treatment was necessary.

The pope was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday, four days after surgery. According to Margaritora, the lung nodule was discovered by chance during routine abdominal examinations, and Leo had not experienced any symptoms.

Dr Stephen Liu, a lung cancer specialist at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre, said the findings suggested an early-stage cancer, for which surgery can be highly effective and potentially curative. The absence of further treatment also indicated that the tumour was relatively small and had not spread to the lymph nodes, he said.

Despite the operation, Leo has continued his public duties. He spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin while hospitalised and has since appeared at two public events at the Vatican, including Wednesday’s general audience, where he thanked people for their prayers.

His next major engagement is a planned November 6-17 visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The itinerary includes 12 flights, two helicopter journeys and stops at high altitudes. Margaritora said there was no clinical reason to prevent the trip.

The pope disclosed on October 11 that the lung nodule would be surgically removed, offering an unusually open account of his health.