The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV will not need further treatment after tests showed his lung cancer had not spread.
According to a statement from his treating physicians, Pope Leo XIV, 71, will not undergo any additional therapies following surgery in October to remove the lower lobe of his right lung.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, chief surgeon Stefano Margaritora and the pope's personal physician Luigi Carbone said: "Subsequent oncological evaluation confirmed that no further treatment is required."
Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the lung — the most common form of lung cancer — after surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung on October 13. He was discharged from Rome's Gemelli General Hospital on Saturday, four days after the operation, and the Vatican said he would gradually return to his activities.
On Wednesday, the pope returned to St. Peter's Square to take part in the weekly general audience with the faithful.
An incidental finding
Additional treatment is usually indicated when follow-up tests detect signs that the cancer has spread, for example through the lymph nodes, or when there are signs that the tumor may be particularly aggressive. Surgery is often sufficient when a tumor is caught very early — as in the pope's case, when the nodule was found incidentally during an unrelated examination.
In an interview with Vatican News on Saturday, Dr. Margaritora, head of thoracic surgery at Gemelli Hospital, confirmed that the nodule was discovered incidentally during routine abdominal tests and that the pope had no symptoms at all.
The pope continued his official duties during his hospitalization, including a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has appeared in good health in two public appearances at the Vatican since the surgery: the traditional Sunday blessing from the window overlooking St. Peter's Square and a longer general audience on Wednesday in the square, welcoming the faithful from around the world.
"Thank you! Thank you for your support through your prayers," Pope Leo XIV told the crowd.
The pope appears to be maintaining his plans for a trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17. His chief surgeon told Vatican News there was no "clinical reason" to prevent the trip, which includes dozens of flights, two helicopter rides and stops at high altitude.
