ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV spent a peaceful night in Rome’s Gemelli hospital after doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed he has cancer, the Vatican said Wednesday.
The surgery confirmed that the pope has the most common type of lung cancer, known as lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin late Tuesday.
The Vatican said doctors were waiting for the results of further tests before deciding on a course of treatment.
The press office pointed to the medical statement’s mention of the “radical” removal of the lobe as an indication that doctors took out all suspect tissue in hopes of removing any lingering traces of the cancer.
Experts said some of Leo’s lymph nodes also would have been removed and tested to determine if the cancer had spread. There was no word yet on those test results.
If the cancer has spread, more tests will be needed to determine what kind of therapy to pursue, said Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Options include chemotherapy, a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy or targeted therapy, which involves oral pills for specific cancers.
“Adenocarcinoma is the most common (type of lung cancer), also with the most favorable prognosis,” said Liu, who is not involved in the pope’s care. “While we know the diagnosis, we now need to know the stage.”
He added: “We now need to know how big it is, how many spots in the lung are involved. Is it just one nodule, or more than one, and the lymph nodes, are they cancerous?”
For now, the implications for the pope’s long-term health remain unclear. The Vatican said more information would be provided later in the day.
The American pontiff has offered a rare level of transparency about the first publicly disclosed major health problem of his 17-month papacy. He revealed the discovery of the nodule, or growth, on his lung during his Sunday noon prayer.
The 71-year-old was in the operating room for about three hours, the Vatican statement said Tuesday. The surgery itself lasted approximately 90 minutes.
“The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the statement said, adding that the pope later returned to his room.
The right lung has three sections or lobes while the left has two. After one lobe is removed, the rest of the lung can gradually compensate, especially in otherwise healthy and physically active people. Leo is known to be sporty, with weekly tennis games and swimming.
Before the surgery, Leo walked into the Gemelli hospital through the main entrance and waved to dozens of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him. The Vatican said the surgery was performed by a team led by Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora.
Oncologists said prior to the operation that even if the nodule turned out to be cancerous, Leo’s prognosis would be “excellent” since it would have been removed at an early stage.
While Gemelli has a specific papal apartment that past popes have used, complete with a private chapel on the 10th floor, Leo is staying in a nearby room since the apartment is undergoing renovations, according to the Vatican press office.
The Vatican on Monday canceled all Leo’s audiences through Oct. 20. But there was no word on whether he would be able to keep his planned trip to South America next month.
Oncology surgeons often advise patients not to fly for three weeks after surgery — which would give the pope just enough time to make his planned Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. But whether he can go will depend on his recovery.
The current itinerary for the trip is ambitious and the longest of his papacy to date, calling for Leo to clock just over 31,000 kilometers (19,000 miles) on a dozen flights and two helicopter rides, and a significant altitude change in Peru.
“If it is stage 1, he can complete these trips. If more treatment is needed, I would likely advise against the trips,” said Liu.
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Barry reported from Milan. Associated Press writer Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed to this report.
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