Pope Leo returns to Vatican after lung cancer surgery
Surgeon says pontiff should be fit for upcoming Latin American tour
Pope Leo XIV returned to the Vatican on Saturday days after lung cancer surgery, as his surgeon said there are "no clinical reasons" to prevent his planned trip to Latin America next month.
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surgeon → return → America
"The Holy Father has put his heart and soul into his recovery," Dr. Stefano Margaritora told Vatican News, adding that he expected the pope to recover fully from surgery "in another 10 days or so."
Leo, 71, is scheduled to make an ambitious Nov. 6-17 trip to Uruguay, Peru and Argentina, including a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes.
"As for a long trip involving air travel in about three weeks, I would say there are no clinical reasons why it should not take place," Margaritora said.
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Margaritora → put → place
Leo had the lower lobe of his right lung removed on Tuesday in the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate.
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lobe → have → pontificate
The surgery confirmed he had adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer.
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he → confirm → cancer
He left the hospital on Saturday, well ahead of the weeklong hospital stay the Vatican had initially anticipated.
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Vatican → leave → stay
Pope says he feels 'much better'
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he → say → ?
"I am much better, thank you," the pope said when asked how he was as he was driven away in a black SUV.
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he → thank → SUV
Leo greeted patients inside the hospital accompanied by his surgeon, before waving to well-wishers outside who cried out "Holiness" as he walked to a waiting vehicle.
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he → greet → vehicle
He paused when a 13-year-old Ukrainian girl presented him with a homemade papal doll that she said had helped her through successful cancer treatment.
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she → pause → treatment
She had briefly met Leo at an audience in St. Peter's Square last December — an encounter she told reporters "gave her the strength to overcome the illness."
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she → meet → illness
Since the surgery, Leo has shown signs of recovering well.
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Leo → show → signs
He had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, held meetings with senior aides and celebrated mass in a makeshift hospital chapel.
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He → have → chapel
He will take on his first official duty on Sunday, delivering the traditional Angelus blessing to the faithful in St. Peter's Square.
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He → take → Square
It comes exactly one week after the pontiff revealed to throngs in the square that the nodule had been found and would be surgically removed — an unusually candid revelation for the Vatican.
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nodule → come → Vatican
Further tests being carried out
Margaritora, the chief thoracic surgeon at Rome's Gemelli hospital, also confirmed that the nodule was discovered by chance during routine abdominal examinations.
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nodule → carry → examinations
It appeared as "a small spot" at the base of the lung, which extends down to the diaphragm, he said.
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he → appear → diaphragm
He added that if the spot had been higher up, "it certainly would not have been seen.
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it → add → ?
"
The cancer was in its early stages, and the pope had "no respiratory symptoms, and felt perfectly well," Margaritora said.
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Margaritora → have → symptoms
He described Tuesday's procedure to remove the lobe as "routine" and "without complications," but acknowledged that it "stirred deep feelings ... to operate on a pope, who for the first time — at least in modern history — is undergoing surgery for a malignant tumour."
The Vatican did not disclose that the tumour was malignant until after Tuesday's successful surgery.
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tumour → describe → surgery
It later confirmed that the pope had undergone a biopsy before being admitted to Gemelli.
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pope → confirm → Gemelli
Experts say the state-of-the-art Ion robotic bronchoscopy would have indicated whether the tumour was malignant and possibly whether cancer had spread to the lymph nodes.
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cancer → say → nodes
The results, along with details of the tumour's molecular and genetic makeup, will help doctors determine whether the pope needs additional treatment.
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pope → help → treatment
Options include chemotherapy, a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy, or targeted oral therapy based on the tumour's genetic characteristics.
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Options → include → characteristics
Margaritora said the pope's recovery so far had required "very little assistance from us.
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recovery → say → us
"
"His determination to recover quickly has been effective in every respect.
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determination → recover → respect
It was truly commendable," the surgeon said.
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surgeon → say → ?
The Aporia
