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Pope Leo XIV will not require additional treatment following surgery to remove a cancerous lung nodule, his medical team has confirmed.
Pope Leo XIV will not require further treatment after surgery to remove a cancerous lung nodule, with doctors confirming that the pulmonary adenocarcinoma was localised.
The 71-year-old pontiff has begun resuming his public duties after being discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital and says his experience has brought him closer to people living with illness and physical vulnerability.
His planned 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, scheduled to begin on November 6, remains on the calendar. His surgeon says there are no clinical reasons preventing the pope from undertaking the journey, although his recovery remains important.
In an update released by the Vatican’s press office on Wednesday, the pontiff’s doctors said the final laboratory reports and tissue analyses had confirmed that he had pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer, which was confined to a localised area.
His doctors, Dr Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora, said;
They added that a subsequent assessment by cancer specialists had found no need for further treatment.
The statement said;
The 71-year-old pope underwent surgery earlier this month at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital after a lung nodule was discovered during routine medical examinations. He had previously said the abnormality was identified “at a very early stage”.
After being discharged from hospital on Saturday, Leo resumed his public engagements the following day, appearing at a window of the papal apartment overlooking St Peter’s Square to lead a prayer.
Reflecting on his health experience, the pope said it had strengthened his connection with people facing illness and physical vulnerability.
He said, while expressing gratitude to those who had offered him support and prayers;
He also indicated that his return to a full schedule would be gradual.
He added;
The pope’s diagnosis and surgery had raised questions about whether he would be able to undertake his planned visit to South America. However, his 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru remains scheduled to begin on November 6.
The journey is expected to involve approximately 19,000 miles of travel, several flights and two helicopter rides. His itinerary also includes a stop in Cuzco, in the Peruvian Andes, which sits at an altitude of about 11,000 feet.
Peru has particular significance for Leo, who previously served as bishop of Chiclayo and holds Peruvian citizenship.
Professor Margaritora, the pope’s surgeon, told Vatican News on Saturday that recovery from this type of operation generally takes a couple of weeks.
Addressing the prospect of the pontiff undertaking a lengthy journey involving air travel approximately three weeks after surgery, he said: “As for a long trip involving air travel in about three weeks, I would say there are no clinical reasons why it should not take place.”
The Vatican’s latest update confirms that no further cancer treatment is currently required. The pope’s recovery and ability to resume his duties will remain important considerations as preparations continue for his planned South American visit.