Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer on Tuesday after surgeons at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Hospital removed part of his right lung, the Vatican announced. Tissue tests during the operation confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, in what doctors described as a successful 90-minute procedure with no complications.
- Who: Pope Leo XIV, 71, elected in May 2025 and leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
- What: Diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung.
- When: Surgery on Tuesday, October 13, 2026; the diagnosis was announced the same day; the first recovery update followed on Wednesday.
- Why it matters: The pope has no deputy who automatically steps in when he is ill, and all of his public engagements through October 20 have been cancelled.
What happened during the surgery
Doctors discovered a small nodule on the pope’s lung during a recent routine health check and recommended surgery to remove it, according to the Vatican. Leo was admitted to the Gemelli hospital on Tuesday, where a team led by his surgeon, Professor Stefano Margaritora, and his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, operated on him.
The surgeons removed the entire lower lobe of his right lung — a “radical” removal aimed at eliminating all of the cancerous tissue, they said in a joint statement. The operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The pope woke up normally and returned to his room on the hospital’s tenth floor after a brief period of observation.
Tissue tests during the operation confirmed what preoperative examinations had already suggested: lung adenocarcinoma. Reuters reported that Leo is not known to be a smoker and has had no recent health issues.
How is Pope Leo recovering?
The Vatican said Wednesday that the pontiff spent a peaceful night after the surgery and that his recovery was “proceeding as expected.” Blood tests and a chest X-ray showed normal post-operative progress, with all values within the expected range for the procedure, the doctors said.
Leo was already out of bed and walking in his room, had undergone respiratory physiotherapy, and had resumed his regular diet, according to a medical bulletin from the Holy See’s press office. He is expected to remain in hospital for about a week. An 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru beginning November 6 remains on his calendar for now, according to USA Today.
What is lung adenocarcinoma?
Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for roughly 40% of all cases, CNN reported. It is a form of non-small-cell lung cancer and is frequently diagnosed in people who have never smoked. Surgery is typically the first step when it is found at an early stage.
Two key details about the pope’s case remain undisclosed: the size of the tumour and whether the cancer had spread to nearby lymph nodes — the factors doctors say are critical to judging prognosis, Reuters reported. The pope’s doctors said they were not discussing chemotherapy or other therapies pending further test results.
Why this matters for the Church
This is the first major health scare of Leo’s papacy — and, according to The Times, the first of his 17-month tenure as pontiff. Previously he had been seen as a relatively young and healthy church leader.
The pope is the ultimate earthly authority for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics and, as USA Today noted, he has no deputy who automatically steps in when he is sick. Any prolonged recovery could stall appointments, meetings and the November South America tour. The Times reported that Britain’s King Charles, who is himself being treated for an undisclosed cancer, would write privately to the pope with his best wishes.
Sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, CNN, USA Today, The Times.
