Pope does not need further treatment after lung cancer surgery
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
Pope Leo XIV does not need further treatment after surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his right lung, according to his doctors. Tests confirmed the growth was a localised lung adenocarcinoma, and a subsequent cancer assessment found no need for additional treatment.
The 71-year-old had a 90-minute operation on 13 October to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, after doctors found a nodule they said had been caught early. He left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital four days later and has since returned to St Peter’s Square for his first weekly audience after discharge. People close to him have said he hopes to keep an early-November trip to Latin America on schedule.
- Doctors say Pope Leo needs no further cancer treatment.
- Tests found the lung cancer was localised.
- He has returned to St Peter’s Square after surgery.
Full account
Pope Leo XIV will not need further treatment following surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his right lung, the Vatican said on Wednesday. Tests on the tissue removed during the operation confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, and found that the disease was localised. A subsequent assessment by cancer specialists concluded that no additional treatment was necessary.
The 71-year-old pontiff underwent a 90-minute operation on 13 October at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung after doctors found a nodule. Leo had said before the procedure that the growth had been detected at an early stage. He left hospital four days later, stopping to speak with people gathered outside.
His return to public duties has been gradual. After leaving hospital, he led a prayer service in St Peter’s Square and thanked people for their support, as well as the doctors, nurses and other hospital staff who had cared for him. On Wednesday he returned to the square for his weekly general audience, his first since his discharge.
The Vatican’s update followed earlier signs of the Pope’s recovery, including photographs of him celebrating Mass in hospital. During his time there, he also spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin, urging a ceasefire in Oleshky to allow food aid to reach the city, and later spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. People close to Leo have said he hopes to keep a planned Latin American visit in early November, though the reports do not say whether his recovery will affect those plans.
Where outlets differ
The first report foregrounds the Wednesday general audience and sets the medical update alongside the Pope’s calls concerning Ukraine and his planned Latin American visit. The second focuses more on his discharge and Sunday prayer service, including his remarks of thanks and intention to resume activities. It also provides background on adenocarcinoma, which the first report does not include. The reports describe his operation as taking place on 13 October and on the previous Tuesday, respectively; they give the same 90-minute duration and broadly consistent discharge timing.