Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – Gli occhi del mondo sono puntati sul Policlinico Gemelli di Roma, dove nel pomeriggio di ieri Papa Leone XIV ha subito un intervento di rimozione di un tumore maligno al polmone. L’operazione – secondo quanto comunicato dai medici – è durata 90 minuti e ha avuto esito positivo. “L’esame istologico estemporaneo ha confermato la diagnosi di un
adenocarcinoma polmonare, come sospettato dagli esami pre-operatori”, si legge nell’ultimo bollettino del Vaticano riferendo la diagnosi dell’equipe medica.
Ecco tutto quello che sappiamo in attesa del prossimo aggiornamento.
“Il Papa è stato in sala operatoria per circa 3 ore, la durata dell’intervento è stata di circa 90 minuti”, hanno fatto sapere i medici, sottolineando che subito dopo l’operazione il Pontefice è stato accompagnato nella sua stanza al decimo piano (diversa da quella in cui fu ricoverato Papa Francesco) e lì resterà per qualche giorno.
Sempre i medici – ha fatto sapere il Vaticano – non hanno parlato di chemio.
The tumor diagnosed in the Holy Father is one of the three main subtypes – the most frequent – of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): it is located in a more peripheral area, in the smaller bronchi, and represents approximately 60% of cases, reports AIRC in a focus on lung cancer, which overall in Italy is progressing at a rate of 27.100 new diagnoses among men and 16.400 among women (AIRC 2025 data).
"Fortunately, in the Pope's case, the adenocarcinoma was identified at an early stage and therefore confined to one lobe of the lung," and surgery is generally curative, provided that not only the histological examination but also the possible presence of tumor cells in the lymph nodes must be confirmed," explained Claudio Micheletto, director of the Pulmonology Unit at the University Hospital of Verona and a member of the board of the Italian Association of Hospital Pulmonologists (AIPO). "It's a cancer that's not always linked to smoking, in the sense that there's a percentage of people who have these forms, even without having been exposed to active smoking," the expert clarifies.
The Pope's post-operative recovery will last a week, as explained. The Pontiff's schedule has obviously changed, with all audiences canceled through Tuesday, October 20, the Prefecture of the Papal Household announced.
But there is one commitment scheduled for November that is very close to the Pope's heart: the long apostolic journey to South America, scheduled for November 6-17, spanning Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. It will include several stops, meetings, and celebrations, including a return to the diocese of Chiclayo, where Prevost was bishop, as well as a visit to the indigenous peoples of the Peruvian Amazon. Could the surgery he underwent have repercussions on the calendar, or will it still allow the Pontiff to undertake the pilgrimage that awaits him on time and according to plan? "It's difficult to answer right now," Claudio Micheletto explained to Adnkronos Salute. "It's a demanding trip, by plane, and very long. Frankly, it seems a bit early."
"It's true that after a week the patient is back on his feet and walking," the expert reasons. "But he's still undergone surgery. And the planned trip isn't short; it requires a certain amount of commitment. In principle, if there are no complications and everything goes well, it would be within the timeframe to make it happen. Departure is about twenty days away, though frankly, that seems a bit short for a trip like this. Of course, after twenty days—I repeat—a person can go back to their normal life, in the sense that they can walk and move around. But here we're talking about a journey lasting many hours, and then also having to make some internal transfers. It seems a bit demanding."
How does removing the lower lobe of the right lung affect respiratory function? "You lose some, obviously, but only a small percentage," the specialist explains. "Let's say the two remaining lobes dilate on average, and therefore you recover some of it. It's not that the patient mathematically loses 30% of the right lung; they lose less, because the middle and upper lobes, which are the two remaining ones, try to make up for the loss of what's removed."
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