Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after surgery to remove a nodule from his right lung, the Vatican said Tuesday. Doctors removed the lower lobe of the 71-year-old pope’s right lung and confirmed the diagnosis, which they had suspected based on earlier tests.
The operation took place at Gemelli Hospital in Rome, where the pope was admitted Tuesday morning. According to the Vatican, he spent roughly three hours in the operating room, with the surgery itself lasting about 90 minutes. Doctors reported that the procedure was successful and that there were no complications.
The Vatican said Leo awoke normally after the operation. Following a brief period of observation, he returned to his room and is expected to need about one week to recover. Dr. Stefano Margaritora, the hospital’s chief thoracic surgeon, led the procedure. The Vatican did not provide further details about any subsequent treatment in its statement.
Earlier Tuesday, the Holy See Press Office said the operation had been completed as planned and within the expected timeframe, adding that more information would follow. Its later statement disclosed the cancer diagnosis and described the removal of the lower lobe, along with the pope’s immediate recovery after surgery.
Leo had announced the planned surgery during Sunday’s Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square. He told those gathered that medical tests had found a localized lung nodule at what he described as a very early stage. He said doctors had recommended removing it and that he had decided to follow their advice. At the time, he did not announce a cancer diagnosis. The Vatican’s Tuesday statement said findings from the surgery confirmed the suspected adenocarcinoma. For now, the information released by the Vatican concerns the procedure and the expected recovery period; it does not set out a longer-term medical plan.