Pope Leo ends cancer treatment
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Pope Leo XIV, the 71-year-old pontiff, needs no further cancer treatment after surgery for a localized lung adenocarcinoma.
The announcement clears the leader of the Catholic Church to resume his duties.
Background
Pope Leo XIV is the 71-year-old pontiff and leader of the Catholic Church, described by CBS News as "The First American Pope." The news came after a nodule was found by chance during routine abdominal examinations; his lead surgeon said the pope had not been experiencing any symptoms. Surgery alone can be enough when tumors are caught very early, which is why the Vatican's confirmation that no further therapy is required is significant for the pope's recovery and schedule.
How it unfolded
- Oct 11, 2026After leading the Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo announced doctors had found a "small, localized nodule" in his lung, caught "at an early stage," and recommended intervention.
- Oct 13, 2026The pope checked into Rome's Gemelli hospital and had the lower lobe of his right lung removed in a 90-minute video-assisted surgery with no complications; he was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma.
- Oct 14, 2026Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that before surgery the pope had undergone a robotic bronchoscopy with biopsy, a chest CT scan with contrast and a PET scan.
- Oct 17, 2026Pope Leo was discharged from Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic, four days after his operation; the Vatican said he would gradually resume his activities.
- Oct 21, 2026The Vatican press office announced that final histological examinations and molecular biology tests confirmed a localized lung adenocarcinoma and that no further treatment is necessary.
- Oct 21, 2026Pope Leo returned to St. Peter's Square for his weekly general audience with pilgrims, his first since leaving hospital.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The pope's personal physician Dr. Luigi Carbone and lead surgeon Prof. Stefano Margaritora said final tests confirmed a localized lung adenocarcinoma and that "a subsequent oncological evaluation has confirmed that no further therapy is required."
- Expert
- Dr. Nirmal Veeramachaneni, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at St. Louis University School of Medicine, called the news "really good news" and "actually what I was expecting," noting the medical team proceeded straight to surgery.
Still unverified
The Vatican has not disclosed whether Pope Leo received any presurgical, or "neoadjuvant," cancer treatment before entering Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 13.