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Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, according to a medical bulletin issued by the Vatican.
The development provides further details about the pontiff’s condition following an earlier report by Daily Sun that the 71-year-old Pope had undergone successful surgery at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to remove a growth in his lung.
The Vatican reported that tissue tests conducted during the operation confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer.
According to the Vatican’s medical bulletin, the procedure was carried out using a video-assisted technique by a surgical team led by Stefano Margaritora, head of thoracic surgery at the hospital.
“In order to make the procedure curative, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique,” the bulletin said, quoting Margaritora.
It added that a rapid examination of tissue samples taken during the operation confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from tests conducted before the surgery.
The Vatican had earlier announced that the operation was successful. It subsequently disclosed details of the diagnosis and confirmed that the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung had been removed.
The surgery lasted approximately 90 minutes and was completed without complications. The pontiff woke up normally and was resting in his hospital room after the procedure, according to the Vatican.
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He is expected to remain in hospital for about a week, while his public engagements have been cancelled until October 20 to allow him to recover.
The development comes after Leo disclosed during his weekly Angelus address at St Peter’s Square on Sunday that doctors had discovered a lung nodule during recent medical examinations and recommended its removal.
The Pope said the growth had been detected at an early stage and was well localised. He added that he had decided to follow his doctors’ advice and undergo surgery.
“The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it,” he said in a statement published on the Vatican News website.
The Vatican has not yet provided further details about the stage of the cancer or whether additional treatment will be required.
Lung adenocarcinoma is a type of non-small cell lung cancer that develops in cells responsible for producing substances such as mucus. Its outlook depends on several factors, including the stage of the disease and whether it has spread.
Leo was elected head of the Catholic Church in May 2025 following the death of Pope Francis, becoming the first American to occupy the papacy.
