VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing a successful surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to remove a growth in his right lung.
The Vatican announced on Tuesday that medical tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma after surgeons removed the lower lobe of the 71-year-old pontiff’s right lung. The operation, led by Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora, lasted approximately 90 minutes within a three-hour procedure and was completed without complications.
The diagnosis was initially suspected following preoperative evaluations and verified via an intraoperative histological examination. The Vatican press office noted that the “radical” removal of the lobe served to ensure all suspect tissue was cleared.
Lymph nodes were also extracted for testing to determine whether the cancer had spread, though results are still pending.
Medical experts emphasize that while adenocarcinoma is common and carries a favorable prognosis when detected early, subsequent treatment will heavily depend on staging results.
“Adenocarcinoma is the most common (type of lung cancer), also with the most favorable prognosis,” said Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. “While we know the diagnosis we now need to know the stage.”
“We now need to know how big it is, how many spots in the lung are involved. Is it just one nodule, or more than one, and the lymph nodes, are they cancerous?” Liu added.
The Vatican has made no immediate announcements regarding follow-up therapies such as chemotherapy, pending further pathology results.
Pope Leo, who displayed transparency by announcing the localized nodule during his Sunday prayer, is currently recovering in a hospital room as the Vatican has canceled all of his public audiences through October 20.