Pope Leo Will Not Need More Cancer Treatment, Doctors Say

Pope Leo XIV will not need any more cancer treatment, his doctors announced on Wednesday. Last week, the 71-year-old pope had surgery to remove part of his right lung at a hospital in Rome, Italy. Doctors say the cancer was caught early and has not spread to other parts of his body.

The Vatican shared a statement from the pope's two doctors, Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora. They said that lab tests on the tissue removed during surgery showed the tumor was a type of lung cancer called adenocarcinoma. However, the cancer was only in one small area, and the doctors confirmed that no further treatment is necessary.

The surgery took place on October 13 at Rome's Gemelli hospital. Doctors removed the lower lobe, or section, of Pope Leo's right lung. He was released from the hospital on Saturday and said he planned to slowly return to his normal duties.

Many people in the Catholic Church had been worried about the pope's health. If he had needed treatments like chemotherapy or radiation, it could have made it harder for him to lead the church. The good news from his doctors brought relief to Catholics around the world.

Pope Leo's surgeon also said there was no medical reason to cancel the pope's planned trip to South America. The trip is scheduled for November 6–17 and would bring him to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. It is a busy journey that includes about a dozen flights, two helicopter rides, and stops at high altitudes.

Pope Leo first told the public about his illness during his Sunday blessing on October 11. He said he would need surgery to remove a small growth, called a nodule, from his lung. This was a big change from the past, when the Catholic Church often kept information about a pope's health very private.