Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after having a nodule removed from his lung, the Vatican announced on Tuesday.
The Holy Father underwent surgery at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome to remove the nodule, which he had previously characterized as minor and treatable. The Vatican said in a statement that an examination confirmed the presence of lung adenocarcinoma, a form of small-cell lung cancer.
“As planned, the Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery. To ensure a radical resection, the lower lobe of his right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique,” the Vatican said. “An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the preoperative examinations.”
“The Holy Father was in the operating room for approximately three hours; the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The operation was successful, and there were no complications,” the Vatican added.
The pope had announced the planned surgery on Sunday and characterized the nodule as being “early stage and well-localized,” but did not mention the possibility of it being cancerous.
Lung nodules are small abnormal growths that can be discovered during routine medical imaging. While some are cancerous, many are benign and can result from a variety of factors, according to the American Cancer Society.
Leo has no publicly known history of serious health problems and maintains an active lifestyle that includes playing tennis and swimming.
POPE LEO XIV SUCCESSFULLY UNDERGOES OPERATION TO REMOVE NODULE FROM LUNG
The surgery announcement came as a bit of a shock, as the Holy Father’s health is often kept close to the chest due to the ramifications in the event of the leader’s death.
Leo, 71, became the first American pope in 2025 after the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Francis had suffered from chronic respiratory problems and had part of his lung removed as a young man. He died April 21, 2025, at age 88, following a stroke.
