Pope Leo XIV will not need further treatment after lung cancer surgery, his doctors said Wednesday. The Vatican press office released an update from the pontiff’s doctors, saying final reports and analyzes of tissue removed from his surgery were completed Wednesday. 00:41 Pope Leo travels by popemobile for the first time since surgery 00:0000:00 “The results have confirmed that the condition was a lung adenocarcinoma and that the disease was localized,” said his doctors, Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora. “A subsequent oncological evaluation has confirmed that no further therapy is required,” the statement said. The 71-year-old American underwent surgery earlier this month at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to remove a lung nodule found during recent routine medical tests. Leo said the nodule was detected “at a very early stage.” He was discharged on Saturday and returned to his public duties on Sunday with a prayer from the window of the papal apartment in St. Peter’s Basilica. “This experience has made me feel particularly close to all those who are going through an illness and a fragile condition,” he said, thanking supporters. prayers.” The Pope’s diagnosis and surgery left his upcoming trip to South America up in the air. He is still scheduled to depart Nov. 6 for a 12-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. The trip will be demanding, covering 19,000 miles on multiple flights and two helicopter rides. His itinerary includes a stop in Cuzco, in the Peruvian Andes, which is at an elevation of 11,000 feet. Pope Leo, 71, had undergone surgery at earlier this month at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to remove a lung nodule found during recent routine medical tests. Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Peru is a special place for Pope Leo, where he previously served as bishop of Chiclayo and has citizenship. The Pope’s surgeon, Margaritora, told Vatican News on Saturday that recovery from Leo-type surgery usually takes a couple of weeks. weeks, I would say there are no clinical reasons why it shouldn’t be done,” Margaritora said.
