VATICAN CITY, Oct 21 (Reuters) – Pope Leo will not need any further therapy after undergoing lung cancer surgery last week, his doctors said on Wednesday, indicating that his tumor had not spread.
The announcement came as it was still unclear whether the US-born pope would proceed with a planned trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, scheduled for November 6-17.
The 71-year-old pontiff had the lower lobe of his right lung removed in surgery on October 13 and was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer.
Final histological examinations and molecular biology analyses of the tissue removed confirmed the diagnosis, with the disease remaining localized, the doctors said in a statement released by the Vatican.
“A subsequent oncological evaluation has confirmed that no further therapy is required,” the pope’s lead surgeon, Stefano Margaritora, and his personal physician, Luigi Carbone, said.
Leo was discharged from hospital on Saturday and is gradually resuming his normal duties. On Wednesday, he returned to St Peter’s Square for his weekly audience with pilgrims.
Margaritora said last week there were “no clinical reasons” preventing the pope from travelling to South America, but the Vatican’s secretary of state has indicated the pontiff may need to adjust the pace of his schedule to aid his recovery.
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini, Editing by Franklin Paul and Gavin Jones)
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