Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung during an operation at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Hospital.
The Holy See Press Office said the surgery was successful and involved a video-assisted technique intended to achieve a “radical resection.” An examination of tissue during the procedure confirmed the diagnosis that doctors had suspected from preoperative tests, according to a report from Vatican News based on the medical statement.
Leo, 71, spent approximately three hours in the operating room, with the surgery itself lasting about 90 minutes. Doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora said there were no complications. The pope woke normally, was observed briefly and returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor, Vatican News reported. He later asked for dinner and spent the evening with his secretaries and Vatican staff.
The Vatican said additional postoperative examinations of the removed tissue would take place in the coming days. It has not announced whether the pope will need chemotherapy, immunotherapy or another treatment. His hospital stay remains expected to last about one week, and the Holy See canceled his audiences through Oct. 20.
Leo disclosed the lung finding himself after the Angelus prayer on Oct. 11, telling people gathered in St. Peter’s Square that doctors had found a localized nodule during recent medical checks. He said it had been detected at a very early stage and that he had decided to undergo surgery in the following days, according to Vatican News’ account of his remarks.
The diagnosis comes less than a month before Leo’s scheduled first apostolic journey to South America as pope. The itinerary released by the Holy See Press Office calls for visits to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from Nov. 6 to 17, including stops in Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa. The Vatican has not announced whether the surgery or recovery will alter those plans; the published program remains available through the Holy See Press Office.