Pope Leo XIV's Lung Cancer Has Not Spread, No Further Treatment Needed
Doctors of Pope Leo XIV, head of the Roman Catholic Church, said the lung tumour removed last week was localised and no further treatment will be required. The pope spent only a few days in hospital after the surgery.
The lung cancer of Pope Leo XIV, head of the Roman Catholic Church, has not spread and he will not need further treatment, his doctors announced on Wednesday, 22 October. The news matters to Catholics worldwide, as it had been unclear until now whether the disease had spread beyond the lung.
What the tests showed
In a health bulletin signed by doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora, the medical team said the final histological findings (tissue examinations) and molecular biology analyses of the tissue sample had been evaluated and documented. "The results confirmed that it was a lung adenocarcinoma and that the disease was locally limited," the statement said. Adenocarcinoma is the most common form of lung cancer.
The 71-year-old pope underwent surgery last week to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, where a malignant tumour had been found. The operation lasted 90 minutes, and concern about his health followed. Initially it was unknown whether the cancer had reached other parts of his body, but tests on the tissue removed during surgery showed that the disease was localised.
How it began
The operation was carried out soon after the pope announced that doctors had found a nodule in his lung during a routine health check. About a week and a half ago, addressing the faithful, he said it was at a "very early stage" and "well localised". At the time, it was not yet known whether the tumour was benign or malignant.
The pope left hospital on Saturday, a few days after the operation. On Sunday he led the traditional "Angelus" prayer before tens of thousands of worshippers.
