Culture and Ideas · October 25, 2026
Pope Leo XIV declared cancer free
Pope Leo XIV is free from cancer and requires no further treatment. Doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora announced this on Wednesday evening based on definitive findings from his October 13 surgery. The results indicate the condition was a locally limited lung adenocarcinoma.
The oncological assessment following the procedure determined that additional therapy is unnecessary. Vatican officials confirmed this conclusion. The diagnosis relied on a biopsy of material removed during the surgical intervention at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome on the previous Tuesday.
During that operation, the lower right lung lobe containing the malignant tumor was removed. Medical reasons should not prevent the Pope from attending the October 27 meeting in Assisi or his November 6 to 17 trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru.