From Abc · · 1m 30s
Pope Leo needs no further cancer treatment
Tests after lung surgery show Pope Leo's cancer was caught early and did not spread, clearing him to travel next month.
In brief
Tests after lung surgery show Pope Leo's cancer was caught early and did not spread, clearing him to travel next month. Pope Leo, seventy-one, needs no further treatment after surgery removed a lung tumour, and plans to travel to South America in November. Originally reported by Abc.
Pope needs no further cancer treatment
Pope Leo, seventy-one, will not need further treatment after lung surgery last week, his doctors say. Tests show his tumour did not spread.
Surgery confirmed adenocarcinoma diagnosis
The pope had the lower lobe of his right lung removed. Surgery confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.
Doctors confirm cancer was localised
Pope Leo's personal physician Luigi Carbone and surgeon Stefano Margaritora said post-operative tests confirmed the cancer was localised. A subsequent oncology assessment confirmed that no further treatment is necessary.
“A subsequent oncology assessment confirmed that no further treatment is necessary.”
Nodule found by chance during routine exam
Dr Margaritora confirmed the nodule was found by chance during routine abdominal examinations. The pope had not been experiencing any symptoms before surgery.
Expert says surgery likely curative
Dr Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, said the statements suggest stage one lung cancer for which surgery is highly effective and expected to be curative.
Pope plans South America trip in November
Pope Leo wants to proceed with a planned trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November six to seventeen. Dr Margaritora said there was no clinical reason to prevent the trip.
The essence
Pope Leo, seventy-one, needs no further treatment after surgery removed a lung tumour, and plans to travel to South America in November.
