Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after surgeons at the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome removed the lower lobe of his right lung, the Holy See Press Office has said.
The operation was carried out on October 13 by a thoracic surgery team led by Professor Stefano Margaritora. Tissue examined during the procedure confirmed the diagnosis “as suspected from the preoperative examinations”, according to a statement from the Pope’s doctors.
The surgery lasted about 90 minutes and used a video-assisted technique intended to remove the tumour in full. The doctors described the outcome as successful and said there had been no complications.
Leo XIV woke normally and, after a short period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor. He had been admitted at 1.07pm and the Vatican said he would remain in hospital for roughly a week.
Postoperative tests and the analysis of the removed tissue were due in the coming days. The Holy See gave no indication of whether further treatment would be needed.
Adenocarcinoma is the most common form of lung cancer and a non-small cell tumour, a type that tends to grow more slowly than others. Nuria Novoa, head of thoracic surgery at the Puerta de Hierro hospital in Madrid, told Spanish broadcaster TRECE that a localised lesion pointed to disease caught at a very early stage.
She said the final word would rest with the pathologist, who would establish how far the illness had reached. Removing a lobe cuts respiratory capacity over the medium and long term, though the rest of the lung often compensates to the point where the loss is barely noticed.
The Pope announced the operation himself on October 11, telling pilgrims after the Angelus that a nodule had been found during a routine check-up and had been detected early. Audiences have been cancelled until October 20, the Prefecture of the Papal Household said.
It is the first serious health episode of a pontificate that began in May 2025. Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, has no known history of illness and is a keen swimmer and tennis player.
The timing is difficult for the Vatican. The Pope is due to travel to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, and the Holy See has not said whether that journey will go ahead.
Leo XIV has become an increasingly audible voice in European debates, telling UNESCO in Paris on September 25 that artificial intelligence could not answer questions about the meaning of human life. He has also defended the right of states to control their borders, marking a shift in tone on migration from his predecessor, Pope Francis.
