Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer and underwent successful surgery, Vatican says

Pope Leo XIV, 71, has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma and underwent successful surgery on Tuesday at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung, the Holy See said in a medical bulletin. The operation comes three weeks before the start of his tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, whose schedule has not been changed. Pope Leo XIV had surgery on Tuesday to remove a cancerous growth in his lung, the Vatican announced.(Image credit: Alessandra Tarantino)

The Vatican said the pope woke up normally after the operation and would remain in hospital for several days to recover. Pope Leo XIV had a cancerous growth removed from his right lung in a 90-minute operation on Tuesday and “woke up normally” after the procedure, the Vatican said. A Vatican source said further tests were being carried out to determine if the cancer had spread.

“To ensure the procedure was radical, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed,” the Vatican said in a statement. The operation “confirmed the diagnosis of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the pre-operative tests”, it said. The pope was in the operating room for a total of three hours and the operation lasted half that time.

“The surgery was successful and there were no complications,” the Vatican said. A Vatican source said he requested dinner after the procedure. Leo had entered the hospital smiling and waving earlier on Tuesday hours before the surgery.

The Vatican has said it expects the pope to stay in his room on the 10th floor of Rome’s Gemelli hospital to recover for several days. His audiences have been cancelled until October 20 and the operation raises questions about whether the pope will go on a lengthy visit to Latin America next month. – ‘I will pray a lot’ – The surgery marks the 71-year-old Leo’s first hospitalisation since he became head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025.

In a surprise announcement following Angelus prayers on Sunday, Leo told crowds in St Peter’s Square that doctors had discovered a nodule “at a very early stage” during medical checks. “The doctors believe it would be right to intervene,” he said. The Vatican has historically been very secretive about the health of popes, but began to be more transparent during the illness of Leo’s predecessor Francis, an Argentine who freely discussed his ailments.