VATICAN: Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing surgery to remove part of his right lung, according to a medical bulletin attributed to the Vatican.
The 71-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer, after tissue tests conducted during surgery confirmed what doctors had suspected from earlier medical examinations.
Pope Leo was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Monday for an operation to remove a growth discovered during a recent routine health check.
His lead surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, and personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said the procedure lasted approximately 90 minutes and was completed successfully without complications.
The doctors said the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung was removed using a video-assisted surgical technique, with the aim of eliminating all cancerous tissue.
However, the full extent of the disease remains unclear, as the Vatican had not immediately disclosed the size of the tumour or whether the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes.
Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer specialist at Georgetown University in Washington and division chief of hematology-oncology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, said further information would be needed to determine the Pope’s prognosis and the appropriate treatment.
“While we have the diagnosis, we do not yet have the stage. This is critical to prognosis and treatment,” Liu said.
He explained that surgery could be curative if the cancer was small and had not spread to the lymph nodes. However, evidence of more extensive cancer involvement could indicate a poorer prognosis.
The medical bulletin said Pope Leo regained consciousness normally after the operation and returned to his hospital room to rest.
The Vatican had earlier indicated that the Pope was expected to remain in hospital for approximately one week. His public engagements were reportedly cancelled through October 20.
Before the operation, Pope Leo left the Vatican shortly before 1 p.m. local time and travelled approximately nine kilometres north to Gemelli Hospital.
Upon arrival, he reportedly shook hands with officials and walked past a crowd of well-wishers, some of whom shouted “Auguri,” an Italian expression meaning “best wishes.”
Elected by the world’s cardinals in May 2025, Pope Leo is relatively young compared with several of his predecessors. Born Robert Prevost in Chicago in 1955, he spent decades serving as a missionary and bishop in Peru before becoming leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Pope is known to enjoy sports, including tennis, and has not been widely known to have experienced major health problems in recent years.
His predecessor, Pope Francis, died in April 2025 at the age of 88 after experiencing health challenges and several hospitalisations in his later years.
Pope Leo maintains a busy schedule and was expected to undertake an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17. It remains unclear whether the reported diagnosis and recovery period would affect the planned trip.
As head of the Roman Catholic Church, which has approximately 1.4 billion followers worldwide, the Pope holds the Church’s highest authority. Although Vatican administrative operations continue during a Pope’s illness, decisions requiring his personal approval may be delayed if he is unable to perform his duties.
Pope Leo has previously spoken about a serious illness he experienced as a young priest. In 1985, he contracted typhoid fever in Chulucanas, Peru, and was hospitalised.
In a later interview published in a book by Penguin Peru, he recalled experiencing severe pain and asking God to let him die rather than continue suffering. He said his recovery made him feel that God still had a purpose for him on Earth.
