Pope Leo XIV Diagnosed with Cancer After Successful Lung Surgery
Pope Leo XIV, 71, has received a cancer diagnosis. Doctors found a cancerous growth during an operation on his lung. The Vatican shared this news in a medical report.
Tests confirmed the diagnosis as lung adenocarcinoma. This type of cancer was suspected by doctors before the surgery. The Vatican did not give details about the Pope’s full recovery or treatment plan yet.
The surgery took 90 minutes. It was successful, and there were no problems during the procedure. Pope Leo has returned to his room at Rome’s Gemelli hospital.
He is expected to stay in the hospital for one week. All his meetings are cancelled until October 20. Doctors are not discussing chemotherapy or other treatments now. They are waiting for results from more medical tests.
The Vatican said doctors removed the entire lower part of his right lung. This “radical” removal means they took out all suspicious tissue. They hope this has removed all traces of the cancer.
Before the surgery, Pope Leo waved to many people. They had gathered at the hospital entrance to wish him well. He first spoke about a small growth on his lung during his Sunday prayer. He told people that doctors advised surgery to remove it.
Pope Leo has no known history of serious illness. He is usually very active. He often swims and plays tennis. The Pope is scheduled to visit Latin America in November.
His trip includes stops in Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. This busy travel plan has many flights and changes in altitude. It is not clear if his recovery will affect these plans. However, Pope Leo told reporters he still intends to make the journey.
