Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer following a surgical procedure on Tuesday, Oct. 13, to remove a small lung nodule, the Vatican announced. The operation represents the first major medical intervention of the 71-year-old pontiff's papacy.
A medical team at Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, led by Professor Stefano Margaritora, removed the lower lobe of the pope's right lung after discovering adenocarcinoma, the most common form of non-small-cell lung cancer. Vatican officials stated that the surgery was completed successfully without complications, and that tissue tests confirmed what had been indicated by pre-operation screenings. The pope woke up normally after the procedure and returned to his tenth-floor hospital room after a short period of observation. He is expected to remain hospitalized for a week during his recovery.
As the head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics, Pope Leo has no designated deputy to assume official duties when he is ill. All of his public engagements have been canceled through Oct. 20. However, he remains scheduled to undertake an 11-day trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru beginning Nov. 6.
Pope Leo is not known to be a smoker or to have experienced prior health issues. According to medical context from Harvard Medical School and the Lung Cancer Institute of America, adenocarcinoma develops in glandular cells and is the most common lung cancer type among both smokers and non-smokers. It typically grows more slowly than other forms of lung cancer, increasing the likelihood of detection before it spreads. When localized, it may respond better to medical treatments. A patient's prognosis depends on the cancer's stage, overall health, and whether specific cell mutations can be identified for targeted therapy.
The Vatican's official health bulletin did not clarify the stage of Pope Leo's cancer or whether the tumor was localized.
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