Pope Leo XIV will not need further treatment for lung cancer, his doctors said, after tests confirmed the disease had not spread beyond the tumour removed from his right lung.
The 71-year-old American pontiff had the lower lobe of his right lung removed on October 13 at Rome's Gemelli hospital. The operation used a video-assisted technique, with surgeons in theatre for about three hours for a procedure that took roughly 90 minutes.
What the tests showed
"The results confirmed that the tumour was a pulmonary adenocarcinoma and that the disease was localized," said Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora in a Vatican statement. "A subsequent oncological evaluation confirmed that no further treatment is necessary."
Adenocarcinoma is a type of non-small cell lung cancer and accounts for about 80% of cases, according to the American Lung Association. It affects smokers and non-smokers, and Leo is not known to have ever smoked.
The nodule was found during a routine check. Leo disclosed it during his Sunday noon prayer, a rare step for a pope speaking about his own health.
A quick recovery
The pope woke normally after surgery and returned to his room on the tenth floor of the hospital, next door to the papal apartment, which is being renovated. He left hospital after five days and was back at the Vatican on Sunday. He has since resumed papal duties, including his weekly general audience.
Messages of support came in from church leaders and governments. New York Archbishop Ronald Hicks said he thanked God the surgery went well. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he and his wife were praying for the pope, who was born in Chicago.
The schedule ahead
Leo is expected to keep a lighter calendar for several weeks while he recovers. He had been preparing a two-week visit to South America next month, and the Vatican has not said whether it will go ahead in full.
The diagnosis is the first health crisis of his papacy. It also arrives at a busy moment for a pope who has used his platform to warn about artificial intelligence and to press for peace in Ukraine and the Middle East.