Pope Leo XIV’s brother, Louis Prevost, also battling cancer, wife reveals

Louis Prevost, the older brother of Pope Leo XIV, has multiple myeloma, his wife told CBS News on Tuesday.

The disclosure came the same day the Vatican said the 71-year-old pontiff has lung adenocarcinoma, confirmed after surgery to remove a nodular lesion from his right lung. The Vatican did not say what stage the cancer is or what treatment may follow.

Deborah Prevost said Louis, who lives in Florida, was first diagnosed in 2017. Treatment in 2019, including stem cell therapy and a clinical trial, kept the disease at a very low level, she said. He fell out of remission three months ago and is now in a clinical trial at a local hospital. She did not disclose the stage of his cancer.

The brothers spoke last week, before Louis began the trial. “We keep praying, keeping spirits up for both of them,” Deborah Prevost said.

She said she was hopeful the pope’s cancer was caught early, though she had heard of no plans for radiation or chemotherapy.