VATICAN CITY —Pope Leo XIV will not require further cancer treatment after doctors confirmed that a tumour removed from his right lung had not spread, offering reassuring news about the pontiff’s recovery.
The Vatican announced on Wednesday, October 21, that final tissue examinations and molecular tests confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer, but found the disease was localized.
The medical assessment concluded that no additional cancer therapy was necessary following the successful operation.
The findings followed surgery on October 13 at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital, where doctors removed the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung to eliminate the tumour.
The operation was successful, with no complications reported. Earlier examinations had detected a small, localized lung nodule, which doctors subsequently confirmed was cancerous.
Pope Leo, 71, was discharged from hospital on October 17 after doctors determined that his condition allowed him to continue recovering at the Vatican.
He returned to St Peter’s Square on Wednesday for his weekly general audience, marking a further step in his recovery and resumption of public duties.
The medical update is a significant development following concerns over the health of the leader of the world’s Roman Catholic Church. The confirmation that the disease had not spread and that further treatment was unnecessary provides reassurance as he continues his recovery.