# 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.
- Title: Pope Leo needs no further cancer treatment · Abc | Shortify
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: pope leo xiv, lung cancer, vatican, health, news, politics, Pope, Leo, needs, further, cancer, treatment
- Source: Abc — https://abc.net.au/news/2026-10-22/pope-leo-will-not-need-further-cancer-treatment-doctors-say/107295358
- Published: 2026-10-21T23:06:23+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: pope leo xiv, lung cancer, vatican, health, news, politics
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Pope Leo, seventy-one, needs no further treatment after surgery removed a lung tumour, and plans to travel to South America in November.