Vatican says Pope Leo XIV diagnosed with cancer; lower lobe of right lung removed

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after undergoing a 90-minute operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, with the Vatican confirming that the surgery was completed without complications.

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing a 90-minute operation on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin.

The 71-year-old pontiff has lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer. Tissue tests conducted during the surgery confirmed the diagnosis, which doctors had suspected based on preoperative examinations.

Leo was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a growth detected during a recent health check-up. The Vatican initially said the procedure had been successful before releasing further details from the pope’s lead surgeon, Professor Stefano Margaritora, head of thoracic surgery at the hospital.

Margaritora said the lower lobe of the pope’s right lung was removed using a video-assisted surgical technique, with the procedure aimed at curing the condition.

According to the medical bulletin, an examination of tissue samples conducted during the operation confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, consistent with doctors’ suspicions before the surgery.

The procedure lasted around 90 minutes and was completed without complications. The Vatican said the pope regained consciousness normally and was resting in his hospital room. However, the statement did not provide any further details about his condition.

Leo departed the Vatican shortly before 1 pm local time on Tuesday and travelled around nine kilometres north to Gemelli Hospital. He was seen waving from the rear of a black SUV as his convoy passed through the streets of Rome.

Upon reaching the hospital, he shook hands with several officials and walked past a group of well-wishers who greeted him and wished him a speedy recovery.

The Vatican had earlier said that Leo was expected to stay in hospital for approximately a week. All his public engagements have been cancelled until October 20.

Elected pope in May 2025, Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost in Chicago in 1955, spent decades as a missionary and bishop in Peru, enjoys tennis and is not known to smoke. He had no widely reported recent health problems before his current medical episode. His predecessor, Pope Francis, died aged 88 in April 2025 after several hospitalisations.

With agency inputs...

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