Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery

Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer, the Vatican said Tuesday after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung at a Rome hospital. The 71-year-old pontiff is recovering at Gemelli Hospital following an operation the Vatican described as successful and without complications.

Tests during surgery confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, a diagnosis doctors had suspected from tests before the procedure, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin. Surgeons used a video-assisted technique to remove the lobe. The operation lasted about 90 minutes, and Leo spent roughly three hours in the operating room, according to CBS News.

“The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the Vatican said. It added that Leo regained consciousness normally before returning to his hospital room.

The Vatican has not disclosed the cancer’s stage, whether it has spread or what treatment Leo might need next. Al Jazeera reported that doctors are not currently discussing chemotherapy or other therapies while they await further test results. The Holy See’s press office said the bulletin’s description of a “radical” removal indicated that surgeons had removed all suspect tissue in the hope of eliminating lingering traces of the cancer, according to Al Jazeera.

Leo disclosed during his Sunday noon blessing that doctors had found a small nodule in his lung. “The doctors believe it’s best to take action, so, following their advice, I’ve decided to have surgery to remove it,” he said. “Thank you for your spiritual support, and I entrust myself to your prayers.”

He walked into Gemelli through the main entrance before the operation and waved to dozens of people waiting outside. The surgical team was led by the hospital’s chief thoracic surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, CBS News reported. Leo is staying in a room near the hospital’s papal apartment because that apartment is being renovated, the Vatican press office told CBS News.

All of Leo’s audiences through Oct. 20 have been canceled. Al Jazeera reported that he is expected to recover in the hospital for a week. Whether he can proceed with a planned Nov. 6-17 trip to South America remains unclear. The itinerary includes stops in Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, along with a dozen flights, two helicopter rides and substantial changes in altitude in Peru, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reported that Leo told reporters Sunday he intended to make the trip.

Leo has no reported history of serious illness and regularly swims and plays tennis, Al Jazeera reported. Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common form of lung cancer in the United States, accounting for about 40% of diagnoses, according to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America, as cited by CBS News.

Candida Moss, a theology professor at the University of Birmingham, told CBS News that questions about the pope’s health remain. “The Vatican tends to keep these things under wraps, so there’ll be a lot of reading between the lines to try and detect what is the state of the pope’s health,” she said.