Pope Leo’s tests show he doesn’t need any further treatment for lung cancer, his doctors say

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV does not need any additional treatment for lung cancer after follow-up tests confirmed the disease was localized, the Vatican said in a statement Wednesday.

Leo, 71, had the lower lobe of his right lung removed last week in the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate. The surgery confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. He left the hospital on Saturday, four days after the operation and well ahead of the week-long hospital stay the Vatican had originally planned.

LEARN MORE: Pope Leo announces to the faithful present in St. Peter’s Square that he will gradually resume his functions after an operation for cancer

The pope’s personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and his surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said in a statement that the results of the latest post-operative tests on tissue removed during the pope’s operation confirmed the initial diagnosis and that the cancer had not spread.

“A subsequent oncological evaluation confirmed that no further treatment is necessary,” the doctors said.

The pope had the lower part, or lobe, of his right lung removed to try to ensure all the cancer was removed.

LEARN MORE: What is adenocarcinoma? Here’s what you need to know about Pope Leo XIV’s form of lung cancer

Additional treatment is offered in such cases if follow-up tests reveal signs that the cancer has spread or shows certain other signs that it might be particularly aggressive. Surgery can often be enough when tumors are detected very early, such as when a person has an X-ray or other test that shows a spot long before it becomes large or causes symptoms.

The pope appears to have had one of these “incidental findings,” a nodule in his lung discovered during another examination. In an interview with Vatican News, Margoritora, chief thoracic surgeon at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, confirmed that the nodule was discovered by chance during routine abdominal exams.

The pope worked during his hospital stay, including on a call with Russian President Putin, and was strong in two public appearances at the Vatican since his surgery: the traditional Sunday blessing from a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square and the longer audience on Wednesday, when he greeted the faithful from around the world.

LEARN MORE: Doctors say Pope Leo’s lung has recovered well from surgery and his post-op tests are normal

His next major commitment is an ambitious trip from November 6 to 17 to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.

Margaritora was quoted by Vatican News as saying there was “no clinical reason” to prevent the trip, which includes a dozen flights, two helicopter flights and high-altitude stopovers.

The pope revealed that a nodule had been discovered and would be surgically removed during the traditional Sunday blessing on October 11, in an unusually transparent disclosure.