Pope Leo's doctors say no further treatment is necessary after lung cancer surgery
Pope Leo XIV's doctors said no further treatment is necessary following the pontiff's surgery for lung cancer, according to a Vatican statement.
"The results confirmed that the tumor was a pulmonary adenocarcinoma and that the disease was localized," Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora said in the statement. "A subsequent oncological evaluation confirmed that no further treatment is necessary."
Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery on Oct. 13 to have the lower lobe of his right lung removed, the Vatican said last week.
The pontiff underwent a minimally invasive camera-guided surgical procedure. He was in the operating room for about three hours with the surgery itself lasting approximately 90 minutes, Carbone and Margaritora said at the time. The surgery was successful and there were no complications, they added.
Leo's recovery was expected to last about a week, the Vatican said at the time
The pope was discharged from Rome's Agostino Gemelli University Hospital on Saturday afternoon and returned to the Vatican.
He appeared on Sunday at the window of his Vatican residence, drawing cheers from a gathered crowd before leading them in a prayer, marking a return to his public papal routine days after undergoing surgery.
Leo was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, which is the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer, accounting for roughly 40% of all lung cancer cases, according to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America.
Lung adenocarcinoma begins in cells in the lung that make mucus, called epithelial cells, which line the surface of the lungs, the American Cancer Society says.
The 5-year relative survival rate for non-small cell lung cancer is 67% if the cancer has not spread outside of the lung, according to the ACS.
For the regional stage, meaning the cancer has spread to nearby structures or lymph nodes, the 5-year relative survival rate is 40%. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the rate is 12%, the ACS says.
Carbone and Margaritora said Leo's cancer was "localized," meaning it had not spread to other parts of the body.
Leo, a Chicago native and the first American pope, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected the church's 267th pontiff in May 2025.
Leo is officially scheduled to make a trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru between Nov. 6 and 17 and his trip is expected to proceed as planned.
