Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer, the Vatican disclosed after surgery at a Rome hospital, but doctors say the disease was caught early and the operation went smoothly.
The 71-year-old pontiff underwent surgery on Tuesday, and the Vatican said tests confirmed lung adenocarcinoma. Doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung. He was in the operating room for about three hours, though the procedure itself lasted roughly 90 minutes. The Vatican said there were no complications.
A medical bulletin said the lobe was removed using a video-assisted technique, to make the procedure curative. A rapid examination during surgery confirmed the diagnosis, which pre-operative tests had already suggested. The pope woke normally and is resting in his hospital room.
Leo walked into Rome’s Gemelli hospital through the main entrance earlier in the day and waved to dozens of well-wishers. The Vatican had canceled his audiences ahead of the operation. It is the first publicly disclosed major health problem of his 17-month papacy, and he has been unusually open about it.
Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer in people who have never smoked, and doctors say it is treatable. An American Lung Association spokesperson said early detection of a localized case works in his favor. She added that survival rates after surgical removal of an isolated cancer range from 80 to 98 percent.
Doctors are expected to test the removed lung tissue and the pope’s lymph nodes to determine whether the cancer has spread. Any sign of spread would help decide whether he needs chemotherapy or radiation beyond surgery.
Pope Leo is due to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru at the beginning of November. Doctors typically advise about three weeks without flying after such surgery, which leaves just enough time. The news has drawn prayers from the faithful.
Chicago-area Catholics spent the day in prayer, with many saying the news felt personal. The diagnosis has also deeply affected the Augustinian province that Leo once led. Bishops and lawmakers in the United States also offered prayers for his full recovery.
