Vatican says Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer after lobe of right lung removed
The operation at Rome's Gemelli hospital went ahead without complications, the Vatican said. Tests confirmed lung adenocarcinoma.
Archive image · Photo: Sergio López Prieto / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer, the Vatican said Tuesday after an operation at Rome's Gemelli hospital. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung, and tests confirmed adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer that had been suspected before the procedure. "The surgery was successful, and there were no complications," the statement said, according to AP. The Holy See press office said the pope had returned to his room and that further information would follow.
The operation was led by Gemelli's chief thoracic surgeon, Stefano Margaritora. According to the Vatican, as reported by AP, the 71-year-old pontiff spent about three hours in the operating room, with the surgery itself lasting around 90 minutes. The Vatican's statements so far have given no details on the stage of the disease or any further treatment.
Leo XIV disclosed the small nodule, which he called "well localized," during his Sunday noon prayer. The Vatican cancelled all his audiences through Oct. 20, and had said beforehand that recovery at the hospital was expected to take about a week. Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said he was struck by the pope's serenity: "We are confident."