Surgery confirms pope has lung cancer and he had the lower lobe of his right lung removed

Pope Leo was diagnosed with a common form of lung cancer after doctors removed ​a lower lobe of his right lung in surgery on Tuesday, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin. The 71-year-old pontiff ‌has lung adenocarcinoma, with tissue tests conducted during the operation confirming what doctors had suspected from preparatory examinations, the bulletin said. The pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a growth on his lung that doctors found in a recent health checkup.

The Vatican had said earlier on Tuesday evening that the ​surgery had been successful before providing a more detailed update from the pope’s lead surgeon, Professor Stefano Margaritora, the chief of ​thoracic surgery at the Gemelli. “In order to make the procedure curative, the lower lobe of the right lung was ⁠removed using a video-assisted technique,” said Margaritora’s update. “A rapid intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as had been suspected from ​the pre-operative tests,” it said.

Tuesday’s surgery lasted about 90 minutes and was successful with no complications, the Vatican said. The pope has woken up normally ​and is resting in his hospital room. Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery to remove a lung nodule and the Vatican said the operation was completed “successfully, on schedule and as planned”

Hospital says operation a success, with prognosis expected to be 'excellent' since nodule was removed at early stage; recovery may allow pontiff to make South America trip The 71-year-old was in the operating room for about three hours, the statement said. The surgery itself lasted approximately 90 minutes.

Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said Tuesday. Pope Leo had a lower lobe of his right lung removed during surgery Tuesday and was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin. ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday that confirmed that he has lung cancer, and doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said.The tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin after the surgery.

It said the diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests and was confirmed during surgery.The statement made no mention of treatment going forward, and the Vatican said doctors were not currently speaking of chemotherapy or other therapies. The Vatican press office noted the medical statement spoke of the “radical” removal of the lobe as an indication that doctors removed all suspect tissue in hopes of removing any lingering traces of the cancer.The 71-year-old was in the operating room for about three hours, the statement said. “The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the statement said.Leo had walked into Rome’s Gemelli hospital through the main entrance earlier in the day and waved to dozens of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him.