Pope does not need further treatment after lung cancer surgery

Image source, ReutersImage caption, Pope Leo returned to St Peter's Square on Wednesday for his weekly general audience.

Pope Leo XIV does not need any further treatment following an operation to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, his doctors have said.

Test results on tissue removed during surgery confirmed he had had a lung adenocarcinoma, as was initially diagnosed, and that the disease was localised, according to a statement shared by the Vatican.

Uma avaliação oncológica subsequente confirmou que nenhum tratamento adicional é necessário," acrescentou.

The 71-year-old was discharged from Rome's Gemelli Hospital over the weekend four days after his operation - stopping to speak to well-wishers as he left the grounds.

Isso acontece enquanto ele realiza sua primeira audiência geral semanal desde que saiu do hospital em St Peter's Square na quarta-feira.

The surgery, which took place on 13 October and lasted for 90 minutes, included the removal of the lower lobe of the Pope's right lung.

O próprio pontífice havia anunciado durante suas orações dominicais semanais que seria submetido ao procedimento, informando aos presentes na Praça de São Pedro que os médicos haviam encontrado um nódulo em seu pulmão.

Images shared days after his operation, on Friday, showed the Pope celebrating Mass from the hospital wearing green vestments and standing behind a makeshift altar.

On the same day, the Vatican said he spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the phone to urge a ceasefire in the blockaded Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky to allow the delivery of food aid, and to call for "dialogue and peace.

O pontífice teve uma ligação semelhante com o presidente ucraniano Volodymyr Zelensky na segunda-feira.

Those close to the Pope have also previously said he was keen not to delay a trip to Latin America which is planned for early November.