Pope Leo Diagnosed With Lung Cancer After Surgery In Rome

Pope Leo XIV has been identified with lung most cancers after surgeons eliminated the decrease lobe of his proper lung in a process at a hospital in Rome, the Vatican has stated.

The 71-year-old pontiff was identified with lung adenocarcinoma, a typical sort of lung most cancers, after tissue exams performed throughout surgical procedure confirmed medical doctors’ suspicions from earlier examinations.

According to a medical bulletin launched by the Vatican on Tuesday, the operation was profitable and ended with out issues.

The pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital for surgical procedure to take away a development found throughout a current routine well being test.

His lead surgeon, Dr Stefano Margaritora, and private doctor, Dr Luigi Carbone, stated the process lasted about 90 minutes.

“In order to make the procedure curative, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique,” the medical doctors stated, indicating that the surgical procedure was meant to take away the cancerous tissue.

The human proper lung has three lobes, whereas the left lung has two.

However, the extent of the most cancers and its implications for the pope’s restoration stay unclear, because the Vatican has not disclosed the tumour’s dimension or whether or not the illness has unfold to his lymph nodes.

Dr Stephen Liu, a lung most cancers specialist at Georgetown University in Washington, United States, stated additional data was wanted to evaluate the pope’s situation and prognosis.

“While we have the diagnosis, we do not yet have the stage. This is critical to prognosis and treatment,” Liu advised Reuters.

He stated surgical procedure might be healing if the most cancers was small and had not unfold to the lymph nodes, however a extra intensive unfold of the illness might point out a poorer prognosis.

Pope Resting After Surgery

The Vatican stated Pope Leo regained consciousness usually after the operation and returned to his hospital room, the place he was resting.

The pontiff left the Vatican shortly earlier than 1pm on Tuesday and travelled by motorcade to Gemelli Hospital, about 9 kilometres away.

On arrival, he shook palms with hospital officers and walked previous a crowd of well-wishers earlier than coming into the power.

Some of these gathered shouted “Auguri”, an Italian expression which means greatest needs.

The Vatican had earlier stated the pope was anticipated to stay in hospital for a few week. All his public engagements have been cancelled till October 20.

The analysis represents a major well being setback for the pontiff, who has maintained a busy schedule since his election in May 2025.

Pope Leo is anticipated to embark on an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, though it stays unclear whether or not the journey will proceed as deliberate.

Pope’s Health And Background

Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, United States, in 1955, Pope Leo served for many years as a missionary and bishop in Peru earlier than changing into head of the Catholic Church.

He is the religious chief of about 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide and holds the Church’s highest workplace. The papacy has no deputy who robotically assumes the pope’s authority when he’s in poor health, though the Vatican’s administrative operations proceed throughout his absence.

Pope Leo has beforehand spoken a few severe sickness he suffered as a younger priest. In 1985, he contracted typhoid fever in Chulucanas, Peru, and was hospitalised.

He later recounted the expertise in a guide revealed by Penguin Peru, saying the ache was so extreme that he had requested God to let him die fairly than proceed struggling.

He stated his survival made him consider that God needed him to stay on Earth.

Pope Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, died in April 2025 on the age of 88 after a number of hospitalisations in his later years.