Pope Leo XIV, 71, underwent surgery on Tuesday at Rome's Gemelli Hospital to remove a lung nodule he had disclosed at his Sunday Angelus, telling the faithful it had been caught at a very early stage.
Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung using a video-assisted technique. The operation lasted about 90 minutes, was reported successful with no complications, and the pope returned to his hospital room afterward.
Tissue examined during and after the operation confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican announced Tuesday evening, Rome time — the most common form of lung cancer, accounting for roughly 40 per cent of cases — as pre-operative testing had suspected.
The Vatican has not yet announced the cancer's staging or any further treatment. Decisions on chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy remain pending while lymph-node and histology results are completed, according to medical experts cited by the Associated Press.
All papal audiences are cancelled until Tuesday, October 20, and Leo is expected to spend about a week recovering in hospital. The first U.S.-born pope, elected in May 2025, is a non-smoker and is known to be physically active.
