Pope Leo XIV cleared for full duties after successful lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV, 71, has been cleared to resume his full schedule of public duties following successful lung cancer surgery on October 13. Doctors at Rome's Gemelli Hospital removed the lower lobe of his right lung to extract a cancerous nodule detected during routine medical tests. The pontiff was discharged on October 17, four days after the procedure.

On Wednesday, October 21, the Vatican released final pathology and molecular testing results confirming the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma—the most common form of lung cancer—and that the disease was localized with no spread. Dr. Luigi Carbone, the Pope's personal physician, and Prof. Stefano Margaritora, the lead surgeon, stated that "a subsequent oncological assessment has confirmed that no further treatment is necessary." The Pope made his first public appearance since surgery on October 18, leading the Sunday Angelus from the Apostolic Palace, and held his regular weekly general audience on Wednesday.

The Pope announced his upcoming surgery during his Sunday prayers on October 11, stating the nodule had been caught "at a very early stage." The adenocarcinoma was discovered incidentally during routine abdominal examinations. Following the all-clear, the Vatican confirmed the Pope's planned 12-day trip to South America in early November will proceed as scheduled. Prof. Margaritora told Vatican News there are "no clinical reasons" to postpone the journey, which involves 19,000 miles of travel, multiple flights, and visits to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru—a country where the Pope formerly served as Bishop of Chiclayo and holds citizenship.

During his hospitalization, the Pope continued conducting papal business, including phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 15 regarding a ceasefire in the Ukrainian city of Oleshky and with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on October 19. The Pope expressed that his experience had given him "a profound sense of closeness to all those who are going through illness or a state of infirmity." The surgery marks the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate.