The Vatican said Wednesday that Pope Leo’s lung cancer treatment had been successful.
The 71-year-old pontiff left hospital on Saturday, only four days after surgeons removed a cancerous mass from his lung.
According to the Vatican press office, Pope Leo, who is from Chicago, Illinois, will not require additional treatment.
“The final histological reports and molecular biology analyses of the tissue removed during the Holy Father’s surgery were issued today,” Dr Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora said.
“The findings confirmed that the tumor was a lung adenocarcinoma and that the disease had remained localized.
“A follow-up oncology assessment has determined that no further treatment is required.”
Pulmonary adenocarcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed form of lung cancer, representing roughly 40 percent of cases globally.
The head of the Catholic Church underwent a 90-minute operation last Tuesday morning after doctors discovered a lesion on his chest.
The Vatican said Pope Leo’s lung cancer treatment was successful
The Catholic leader underwent a 90-minute operation last Tuesday after a lesion was discovered on his chest. He left hospital Saturday afternoon and attended Mass at St Peter’s Square the following morning
Doctors removed part of Pope Leo XIV’s right lung during the operation, the Vatican reported last week.
After leaving Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Hospital on Saturday afternoon, the pope was expected to spend about a week recovering.
On Sunday morning, thousands welcomed him as he appeared at St Peter’s Square to lead a prayer service.
The pontiff appeared at a window of the Apostolic Palace to loud chants of “Viva il papa!”—“Hooray for the Pope!”—before concluding a difficult week with his first Angelus prayer since his hospital discharge.
Smiling as he addressed the crowd from the Vatican window in a strong, steady voice, the first American pope thanked people around the world for their prayers and said he would gradually return to his usual duties.
“Having overcome this delicate phase… I will now gradually resume my activities, always with the help of God and your prayers,” Leo said. He had walked to the service without assistance.
He also encouraged the faithful gathered beneath the cloudy sky to put aside personal ambitions and serve God “without compromise.”
The pope appeared at the Apostolic Palace window as supporters below chanted, “Viva il papa! (Hooray for the Pope!)”
Pope Leo said the previous week had “made me feel especially close to those facing illness and infirmity.”
He told those gathered that he had “truly felt your support” and offered special thanks to the doctors, nurses and staff at Gemelli hospital who cared for him.
The Pope paused for a moment and waved to the crowd before retreating into his apartment in the Apostolic Palace.
A delegation from Africa in Rome for a congress danced and ululated after the Pope’s blessing. One Catholic nun knelt and cried, holding her hand over her face.
A few steps away, a group of other nuns held a sign reading: ‘Best wishes, Holy Father. We love you and we are praying for you.’
He became pope on May 8, 2025, making him the first American-born pontiff in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.
The pope was ordained as a priest in the Windy City in 1982, and went on to participate in missionary work in Peru in the 1980s and 1990s.
Before becoming the pope, he was known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost.
This is breaking news, updates to follow.
