Pope Leo XIV Needs No Further Cancer Treatment, Vatican Says
Pope Leo XIV will need no further cancer treatment after surgery to remove a tumor from his lung, the Vatican said. The pope leads the Roman Catholic Church and serves as sovereign of Vatican City, the small independent state inside Rome.
The Vatican's press office said final lab tests on the removed tissue showed the cancer had not spread. The tissue was identified as lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer that begins in the cells that make mucus. Doctors told the Vatican that the pope needs no further treatment. Town & Country reported the lab findings.
Surgeons removed the lower lobe of the pope's right lung on October 13. The operation lasted about 90 minutes. The Vatican said there were no complications. The growth was found during routine abdominal exams, and the pope had no symptoms.
Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer specialist at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, read the Vatican's statements and said they suggest the pope had Stage I cancer. Stage I is the earliest stage, and surgery for it is highly effective and expected to cure the disease. Dr. Liu gave that view to the Associated Press.
The pope spent four days at Gemelli, the large university hospital in Rome. He left on Saturday. On Sunday he gave his traditional blessing from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square, the huge plaza in front of the basilica. He has said he will gradually return to his normal work.
His next trip abroad is set for November 6 to 17. He plans to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. Surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora said there is no medical reason to cancel the journey. Peru holds special meaning for the pope. He spent decades there as a missionary, and the country granted him citizenship in 2015.
For American readers, the schedule matters because the trip is the first big test of how fully he has recovered. The South America tour covers three countries in under two weeks, with crowds and long flights. Whether he keeps that pace will be the next thing to watch.
The pope is 70 years old. Surgery at that age, followed by a clear recovery timeline and no further treatment, is the news the Vatican wanted to deliver. They do not say how long the recovery will take, and the Vatican has not set out a schedule for his public appearances beyond the trip.
