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Pope Leo XIV Thanks Medical Staff After Lung Cancer Surgery

12:18 AM ETConfirmed

Faith Desk

In Short: Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, thanked medical staff as he was pictured celebrating Mass from his hospital room for the first time since undergoing lung surgery, the Vatican press office said.

The Vatican confirmed that the nodules detected in Pope Leo’s lung were cancerous, as suspected by pre-operative tests. The pontiff had publicly announced the detection of the nodule on Oct. 11, disclosing that his medical advisors had recommended the procedure to remove the growth.

During the surgery, medical staff gathered in the hospital chapel to recite the Rosary, with Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the Vicar of Rome, leading the prayer for the pope’s recovery.

Pope Leo celebrated Mass in a room set up on the hospital’s 10th floor, with off-duty medical staff and members of the Vatican Gendarmerie present. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope distributed Communion to those present and remained in “good spirits.”

The medical team removed the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung in a “radical” procedure, indicating that all suspect tissue was removed to ensure no lingering traces of cancer remained.

Medical experts noted that early intervention to remove a nodular lesion is a hopeful sign for a full recovery. Dr. Ross Camidge, a renowned global lung cancer expert, said the early detection and removal of the cancerous tissue could lead to a successful outcome.

Pope Leo’s doctors, Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora, confirmed that morning blood tests and chest X-rays indicated a stable clinical condition suitable for discharge. The pontiff was discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Saturday, four days after undergoing surgery.

Medical professionals assess cancers according to various staging systems, which help guide treatment and prognosis. Dr. Stephen Liu, associate professor of medicine at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, noted that adenocarcinoma is the most common subtype of lung cancer and falls under the non-small cell category.

The next steps in the pope’s care will depend on the results of postoperative biopsies and other tests. Doctors commonly look for ALK and EGFR mutations, which help regulate cell growth and can influence treatment options.

Pope Leo’s diagnosis has raised awareness about the importance of early detection in lung cancer. Medical experts say that finding lung cancer before it spreads can significantly improve a person’s chances of successful treatment.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• The diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests and was confirmed during surgery, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin.
• In a statement released Oct. 16, the Vatican press office said the pope celebrated Mass in a room set up on the hospital’s 10th floor, with off-duty medical staff and members of the Vatican Gendarmerie.
• 16, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said that during Mass, Pope Leo distributed Communion to those present and remained in “good spirits.” However, he also cautioned against expecting an immediate discharge, adding that the Vatican is following the medical team’s guidance.
• The Vatican press office noted the medical statement spoke of the “radical” removal of the lobe as an indication that doctors removed all suspect tissue in hopes of removing any lingering traces of the cancer.

What's still developing

• The head of the Roman Catholic Church "celebrated with the medical and nursing staff" and thanked workers for their service, the Vatican press office said.
• Pope Leo thanked medical staff as he was pictured for the first time since his lung surgery Pope Leo XIV has been pictured celebrating Mass from hospital, in the first images of him released by the Vatican since he underwent lung surgery.
• PHILADELPHIA (OSV News) — Following Pope Leo XIV ‘s Oct. 13 post-surgical diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, OSV News spoke with several medical experts who noted the prevalence of the disease, as well as its likely treatments and outcomes.
• Almost 9 out of 10 lung cancers are of the non-small cell type, growing more slowly than its small cell counterpart, which typically attacks the airways and spreads rapidly, according to the National Foundation for Cancer Research.
• “Ten to 20% of people who get this have no history of smoking, but because it’s so prevalent, that’s still a huge number.” Camidge is not one of Pope Leo’s doctors and is not advising medical experts about the pope’s treatments.
• --> teleSUR English --> HD --> --> <!-- The medical intervention took place less than a month after the tour that Pope Leo plans to carry out in Latin America.
• Medical examinations placed it at a very early stage and well localized, which allowed the surgical team to plan a targeted intervention.
• Representatives of the American Lung Association and the Catholic Medical Association (CMA) discussed possible underlying causes of Pope Leo XIVʼs lung cancer and potential treatment options.
• Priya Andanamala, MD, a medical oncologist at the OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute in Peoria, Illinois, specializes in lung cancer.
• Some treatment, described as “neoadjuvant,” can take place prior to surgery, working to shrink tumors before they are excised, Veeramachaneni explained.
• “It’s really individualized,” said Dr. Nirmal Veeramachaneni, professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Saint Louis University School of Medicine and medical director for lung cancer screening at SSM Health.
• “The realization now from those in the field of oncology is that lung cancer can happen to anyone,” he said.

Sources

• BBClink
• LiveNOW from FOXlink
• OSV Newslink
• UCHealthlink
• OSV Newslink
• Enlink
• Wcvblink
• BBClink
• Religionnewslink
• Newslink
• Thecatholictelegraphlink
• Miamiarchlink
• Telesurenglishlink
• Ewtnnewslink
• Riverbenderlink
• WarpBeat — background on Pope Leo XIV Discharged From Hospital After Lung Cancer Surgery link
• CBS 8 San Diego — video link