Pope Leo diagnosed with cancer as doctors remove part of lung, Vatican says
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File: 13int-pope-surgery-lwgk-superJumbo.jpg (image, 2048x1365)
>Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung cancer on Tuesday and a lower lobe of his right lung was removed during surgery, the Vatican said in a statement.
>It said an examination of a nodule during the operation had confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. It said cancer had been “suspected by preoperative tests.”
>The surgery itself lasted approximately 90 minutes, and the pope, 71, was in the operating room for about 3 hours. “The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the statement said.
>The statement did not say whether the pope would undergo further treatment. Lung adenocarcinoma is a common form of lung cancer. Survival rates for it vary greatly depending on the stage of the cancer and a patient’s overall health. The information released about Leo thus far seems to indicate he has early-stage lung cancer, which is typically treated with surgery and tends to have a very high survival rate
>The surgery was performed at a hospital in Rome, the Policlinico A. Gemelli. The Vatican had said previously that Leo was expected to spend about a week recovering in the hospital after the surgery, and that all audiences with him would be canceled until Oct. 20.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/world/europe/pope-leo-lung-surgery.html
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>Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung cancer on Tuesday and a lower lobe of his right lung was removed during surgery, the Vatican said in a statement.
>It said an examination of a nodule during the operation had confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma. It said cancer had been “suspected by preoperative tests.”
>The surgery itself lasted approximately 90 minutes, and the pope, 71, was in the operating room for about 3 hours. “The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the statement said.
>The statement did not say whether the pope would undergo further treatment. Lung adenocarcinoma is a common form of lung cancer. Survival rates for it vary greatly depending on the stage of the cancer and a patient’s overall health. The information released about Leo thus far seems to indicate he has early-stage lung cancer, which is typically treated with surgery and tends to have a very high survival rate
>The surgery was performed at a hospital in Rome, the Policlinico A. Gemelli. The Vatican had said previously that Leo was expected to spend about a week recovering in the hospital after the surgery, and that all audiences with him would be canceled until Oct. 20.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/world/europe/pope-leo-lung-surgery.html