Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after undergoing surgery to remove part of his right lung, according to a statement from his medical team shared by the Vatican on Tuesday.
The diagnosis was confirmed by tests conducted during the operation, which had been planned after doctors suspected the presence of cancer.
The Pope’s personal physician, Luigi Carbone, and the surgeon who led the procedure, Stefano Margaritora, said the operation was successful and ended without complications.
“The Holy Father was in the operating theatre for approximately three hours; the operation itself lasted about ninety minutes,” the doctors said.
They added that the 71-year-old pontiff woke up normally after the procedure and returned to his room following a brief period of observation at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
Leo had announced on Sunday that doctors had found a “small, localized nodule” in his lung during a recent medical examination. At the time, the Vatican estimated that his recovery would take about a week.
The diagnosis raises questions about the Pope’s planned visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November. It remains unclear whether the surgery will affect the trip.
His medical team has not disclosed the stage of the cancer or indicated whether he will require further treatment.
