Pope will not need further cancer treatment, doctors say

Pope Leo XIV will not require any further treatment after undergoing lung cancer surgery last week. The information was given by his doctors this Wednesday (21), indicating that the tumor had not spread.

The announcement was made at a time when it was still unclear whether the pope, born in the United States, would go ahead with his planned trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, scheduled for the period from November 6 to 17.

The 71-year-old pontiff underwent surgery on October 13 to remove the lower lobe of his right lung and was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.

Final histological examinations and molecular biology analyzes of the removed tissue confirmed the diagnosis, with the disease remaining localized, doctors said in a statement released by the Vatican.

“A subsequent oncological evaluation confirmed that no additional therapy is necessary,” said the pope’s chief surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, and his personal physician, Luigi Carbone.

Leão was discharged from the hospital on Saturday (17) and is gradually resuming his activities. Yesterday, he returned to St. Peter's Square for his weekly audience with pilgrims.

Margaritora said last week that there was “no clinical reason” that would prevent the pope from traveling to South America, but the Vatican secretary of state indicated that the pontiff may need to adjust the pace of his schedule to facilitate recovery.