Pope Leo XIV is diagnosed with lung cancer after surgeons remove part of his right lung in successful Rome operation
Pope Leo XIV made the short journey from the Vatican by car before walking into Gemelli Hospital, where he will undergo surgery this afternoon to remove a lung nodule he told worshippers on Sunday is "well contained.Pope Leo XIV, whose Vatican audiences have been cancelled until 20 October, was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung, with doctors reporting an excellent prognosis…
Surgeons at Rome's Gemelli Hospital removed the lower lobe of Pope Leo XIV's right lung on Tuesday in a 90-minute procedure, with tests confirming a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. The 71-year-old pontiff spent around three hours in the operating theatre, woke normally afterwards, and had a peaceful night on the hospital's 10th floor. Further tests are now under way to establish whether the cancer has spread.
Leo himself broke the news to pilgrims at St Peter's Square on Sunday, saying the nodule was caught 'at an early stage and well-situated'.
The Vatican said the entire lower lobe was removed to 'ensure the procedure was radical', using a video-assisted surgical technique with no complications.
Adenocarcinoma tends to originate in the lung's peripheral tissue and occurs more frequently among non-smokers; Leo is expected to remain in hospital for around a week.
