Pope Leo XIV does not require any additional treatment after an operation to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, his doctors have said. According to a Vatican statement, tests on tissue taken during the surgery confirmed a lung adenocarcinoma, the same diagnosis made earlier, and showed the disease had stayed in one area.
The statement said a follow-up oncology assessment found that “no further treatment is necessary.” The 71-year-old left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital over the weekend, four days after the operation, and stopped to greet well-wishers as he departed.
Details of the operation and the Pope’s announcement
The procedure took place on 13 October and lasted 90 minutes. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung.
The pontiff had told crowds during his Sunday prayers that he would undergo the operation, explaining that doctors had found a nodule on his lung. He said at the time that it had been detected at an early stage. Images released on Friday showed him saying Mass from the hospital in green vestments, standing behind a makeshift altar.
Vatican says Pope pressed Putin and Zelensky on Ukraine
On the same Friday, the Vatican said the Pope had phoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to press for a ceasefire in Oleshky, a blockaded city in Russian-occupied Ukraine, so food aid could be delivered. He also called for “dialogue and peace.” He had made a similar call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.
He returned to work on Wednesday, leading his first weekly general audience since leaving hospital in St Peter’s Square. People close to the Pope have also said he was keen not to postpone a planned trip to Latin America in early November.
