In brief
After a 90‑minute operation that removed a tumor from the lower lobe of his right lung, Pope Leo XIV has been cleared for recovery with no further oncological therapy. The 71‑year‑old pontiff returned to St Peter’s for a general audience, called for ceasefire in Ukraine and remains slated for a Latin America trip next month.
Pope Leo XIV does not need any further treatment following an operation to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, his doctors have said.
Test results on the tissue removed during the 90‑minute surgery confirmed the pope had a lung adenocarcinoma that was localised, as initially diagnosed. A subsequent oncological assessment has verified that no further treatment is required.
The 71‑year‑old pontiff was discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital over the weekend, four days after his operation, and spoke briefly to well‑wishers as he left the grounds.
He returned to St Peter’s House of General Audience on Wednesday, his first weekly sermon since leaving hospital.
The operation, performed on 13 October, involved removing the lower lobe of the right lung. The pope publicly announced the procedure during his Sunday prayer service, describing it as an early‑stage discovery after doctors found a nodule on his lung.
Images shared after the operation show the pope celebrating Mass at the hospital in green vestments and standing behind a makeshift altar.
On the same day the Vatican noted the pope held phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge a ceasefire in the blockaded Ukrainian city of Oleshky, and with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to call for dialogue and peace.
Those close to the pope say he intends to keep a trip to Latin America, scheduled for early November, on his agenda.
