Pope Leo XIV Cleared After Lung Cancer Surgery, No Further Treatment Needed

Pope Leo XIV does not need any additional cancer therapies following surgery last week to remove a cancerous nodule from his right lung, the Vatican press office announced on October 21. Test results after the operation showed the cancer was localized, his doctors said in a statement released by the Vatican.

The 71-year-old American pope underwent the procedure at Rome's Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic on October 13, when a lower lobe of his right lung was removed. Doctors identified the cancer as a pulmonary adenocarcinoma, among the most common types of lung cancer. The Vatican had previously said the surgery was successfully completed and that Leo was recovering as expected, eating normally and beginning respiratory physiotherapy.