Louis Prevost being treated for multiple myeloma in Florida, wife says

Pope Leo XIV underwent 90-minute lung surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital

Deborah Prevost, the wife of Pope Leo XIV’s eldest brother, told CBS News on Tuesday that her husband is also being treated for cancer, on the same day the Vatican announced the 71-year-old pontiff had undergone successful surgery for lung cancer.

Deborah Prevost told the BBC’s US partner that Louis Prevost has a form of blood cancer. It is unclear how advanced it is. She said the family is “going through a lot” and is “keeping spirits up for both of them.”

Her comments came the same day that the Vatican said Pope Leo, the first US-born head of the Catholic Church and whose birth name is Robert Francis Prevost, had undergone a 90-minute operation at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.

The Vatican said the operation was “successful and there were no complications.” After the operation, the Pope “awoke normally and returned after a brief period of observation to his room.” During the procedure, surgeons removed a lower lobe of his right lung. The pontiff was subsequently diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer usually found in the outer part of the organ, the Vatican said.

The Vatican said Wednesday morning that the pontiff had a “peaceful night” in the hospital. Doctors said the Pope is walking and recovering “as expected” after surgery. The Pope is expected to remain hospitalized for a week.

Deborah Prevost said her husband is being treated for multiple myeloma as part of a clinical trial at a hospital in Florida where they live. He was first diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and underwent treatment in 2019, but “fell out of remission” three months ago, she said.

Multiple myeloma affects the blood, bone marrow, and can impact kidneys, according to a factsheet from the UK’s National Health Service. It is not currently considered curable, but the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation says on its website that survival rates have significantly improved in the past decade.

In a separate interview with Newsmax, Louis Prevost confirmed his cancer diagnosis and said he was undergoing CAR-T cell therapy. The therapy involves reprogramming a patient’s immune cells to recognise and destroy blood cancers, the NHS states.

Louis Prevost told Newsmax’s Finnerty programme that learning his brother also had cancer had been a shock. “I got a message from his right hand that he was out of surgery, awake, feeling good, and was in no pain,” he said of the Pope’s condition. “So, we were all in high hopes and high spirits hoping for the best.”

Deborah Prevost said the brothers spoke last week as her husband prepared to go to the hospital. “He called to let us know what would be happening,” she said, referring to the Pope’s announcement Sunday that he would be operated on “in the coming days” after a nodule was found on his lung during a medical check-up. “We keep praying, keeping spirits up for both of them,” she said.

Adenocarcinomas develop in cells that produce mucus and are one of the most common types of lung cancer. The long-term prognosis depends on a number of things, including the stage of the cancer when identified and the person’s overall health. The earlier it is spotted, the better, and treatments have improved over the last few decades. Some adenocarcinomas are picked up early — before symptoms develop — during routine tests. At later stages, lung cancer can cause a persistent cough, breathlessness, fatigue and weight loss.