Pope Leo will not need further cancer treatment, doctors say

Pope Leo XIV receives positive cancer treatment update

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Pope Leo XIV, 71, will not require further treatment for lung cancer, according to his doctors. The Vatican announced that tests confirmed the disease was localised, and the cancer had not spread.

The pontiff underwent surgery last week to remove part of his right lung after being diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer. He was discharged from Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday, four days after surgery.

Pope Leo's personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and his surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said in a statement that results of the final post-operative tests on tissue removed during the pope's surgery confirmed the diagnosis and that the cancer had not spread.

The pope had the lower section, or lobe, of his right lung removed to try to ensure that all the cancer was removed. Additional treatment is offered in such cases if follow-up testing finds signs that the cancer has spread, such as through the lymph nodes, or has certain other signs that it might be particularly aggressive.

Surgery often can be enough when tumours are caught very early, such as when someone has an X-ray or other scan that shows a spot long before it's large or causing symptoms. The pope appears to have had one of those "incidental findings," a nodule in his lung spotted during another exam.

The pope's next major engagement is an ambitious Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. He has appeared strong in two public appearances at the Vatican since his surgery, including a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a traditional Sunday blessing from a window overlooking St. Peter's Square.