Pope Leo’s doctors say no further treatment is needed after lung cancer surgery
An oncological evaluation found the disease was localized, according to a doctors’ statement reported by ABC News. The pope also held his first general audience since the operation.
Pope Leo XIV’s doctors said on October 21 that he needs no further treatment after lung cancer surgery, according to CBS News and ABC News. An oncological evaluation found the disease was localized, ABC reported, as the 71-year-old pontiff resumed public duties at the Vatican.
ABC News quoted Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora as saying the tumor was a pulmonary adenocarcinoma. ‘A subsequent oncological evaluation confirmed that no further treatment is necessary,’ they said in a Vatican statement, according to ABC. The assessment followed an operation in which surgeons removed the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung on October 13.
Pope Leo returns to St Peter’s Square
Earlier on October 21, Pope Leo held his first general audience since the surgery, Reuters reported in an account carried by RTÉ. Standing in an open-air popemobile, he waved to people gathered in St Peter’s Square and stopped to speak with some of them. The audience followed his pledge on Sunday to resume his duties gradually.
‘The first thing I want to say to you is thank you for the support and prayers,’ the pope told the crowd, according to Reuters. He did not specifically discuss his health during the 50-minute event. After a sermon in Italian, he offered brief greetings in seven other languages, compared with nine on previous occasions.
His doctors said the surgery was completed without complications, Reuters reported. The October 21 gathering was his first general audience since October 7. The pope, elected in May 2025, is the youngest in decades, and his cancer diagnosis has raised questions about the shape of his papacy.
November papal trip remains uncertain
The Vatican had not announced a schedule beyond October 21, Reuters reported. A trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru is scheduled for November 6–17, but it was unclear whether it would go ahead as planned. The pope’s lead surgeon said he could recover fully in time; the Vatican’s secretary of state indicated that a slower pace might help his recovery.
Doctors had not disclosed the tumor’s size or whether cancer had reached nearby lymph nodes, factors relevant to assessing his prognosis, according to Reuters.
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Sources and context
- Pope Leo won't need further treatment after lung cancer surgery, doctors sayCBS News
- Pope Leo's doctors say no further treatment is necessary after lung cancer surgeryABC News
- Pope Leo holds first general audience since surgeryRTÉ, reporting sourced to Reuters
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.