Pope Leo XIV attends his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
VATICAN CITY – Follow-up tissue and molecular analyses have confirmed that Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer was confined to his lung, and his doctors say he does not require additional treatment, the Vatican announced Wednesday.
The pope returned to the Vatican on Saturday, four days after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The operation confirmed that he had lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.
In a statement, Pope Leo’s physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, said laboratory tests on the tissue removed during surgery upheld the original diagnosis. The results also showed that the cancer had not spread beyond the lung.
“A subsequent oncology assessment confirmed that no further treatment is necessary,” the doctors said.
