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Pope Leo XIV cleared for Saturday discharge after lung surgery
Pope Leo XIV's medical team says he is fit to leave Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday following surgery on his right lung.
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to leave Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic on Saturday following surgery on his right lung. His medical team said doctors had assessed him as fit to leave the hospital.
Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora said their discharge assessment followed blood tests and a chest X-ray performed that morning. Their statement also cited an evaluation of the pope's clinical condition.
Leo was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma. The Lung Cancer Foundation of America identifies it as the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer, accounting for roughly 40% of all lung cancer cases.
The American Cancer Society explains that lung adenocarcinoma starts in mucus-producing cells called epithelial cells. These cells line the surface of the lungs.
The medical team's statement also sets out a public engagement for Sunday: the pope is to recite the Angelus prayer from the window of the papal apartment.
The Vatican said the pope had already resumed work activities on Thursday. That return to work came just days after he underwent the operation.
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Pope Leo XIV admitted to Rome hospital for lung nodule surgery
Pope Leo XIV was admitted to hospital in Rome on Tuesday, October 13, for an operation to remove a pulmonary nodule, a small growth of tissue in the lung. The Vatican said surgery would take place that afternoon. The admission is the 71-year-old's first hospitalization since he became head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025.
Following Sunday's Angelus prayers, Leo told the faithful in St. Peter's Square that doctors had found the nodule at a very early stage during recent medical checks. He said his doctors believed intervention was appropriate. The announcement came as a surprise.
He smiled and waved to crowds at the Gemelli before walking into the hospital. The Vatican said the operation would be performed by the hospital's thoracic surgery team, led by Stefano Margaritora. Recovery is expected to take about a week, and his audiences have been cancelled until October 20.
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Pope Leo XIV returns to Vatican after lung cancer surgery
Pope Leo XIV returned to the Vatican on Saturday after leaving Rome’s Gemelli hospital, four days after lung cancer surgery. The 71-year-old greeted patients before walking unaided to his waiting vehicle, with well-wishers gathered outside. His surgeon accompanied him to the hospital entrance.
The Vatican had initially expected a hospital stay of a week, but he was discharged earlier following a satisfactory recovery. Medical bulletins said he could carry out normal daily activities independently. The Vatican said he was expected to deliver Sunday’s Angelus blessing from a window overlooking St Peter’s Square.
Tuesday’s operation removed the lower lobe of his right lung and confirmed lung cancer. Doctors are awaiting further results to establish the cancer’s precise characteristics, whether it has spread beyond the removed lobe and whether more treatment is needed. Those questions remain unresolved despite his discharge.
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Pope Leo XIV leaves hospital four days after lung surgery
Pope Leo XIV left Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Saturday, four days after surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. He greeted people outside the hospital before leaving by car, and his motorcade returned to Vatican City.
His personal physician and surgeon said he was fit for discharge following blood tests and a chest X-ray on Saturday morning, together with an assessment of his clinical condition. The Vatican had initially expected him to remain in hospital until October 20.
Tuesday’s operation lasted 90 minutes and included removal of the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung. Results of further tests to check whether the cancer has spread have not yet been announced.
The Vatican said the pope would give the traditional Angelus prayer and blessing to a crowd in St Peter’s Square on Sunday. He had announced his surgery during the same public appearance the previous week.
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