Following a recent hospital visit and planned surgical procedure, Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

The Holy See Press Office confirmed the diagnosis after the 71-year-old pontiff underwent surgery at Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Tuesday, October 13. Doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung, and testing during the operation confirmed lung adenocarcinoma.

Leo spent about three hours in the operating room, although the procedure itself lasted approximately 90 minutes. The Vatican said the surgery was successful and there were no complications.


According to Vatican News, Leo awoke normally after surgery and returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor after a brief observation period.

What Doctors Found

The Pope first shared his health news during his weekly blessing in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Oct. 11. He said doctors spotted a “very early-stage and well-localized” nodule during recent medical tests and advised him to have surgery.

Adenocarcinoma is the most common form of lung cancer in people who don’t smoke, according to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America. It falls under the non-small cell category and usually develops near the outside of the lungs, in cells that produce mucus.

This marks Leo’s first hospitalization since he was named pontiff in May 2025. His announcement came two days before the planned operation, giving the public some notice of the procedure.

What Happens Next?

Before surgery, oncologists told the AP that his prognosis could be “excellent” if the nodule was cancerous and removed at an early stage. Following the diagnosis, however, experts said more information was needed before assessing his outlook.

“While we know the diagnosis, we now need to know the stage,” Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, told the AP. “We now need to know how big it is, how many spots in the lung are involved. Is it just one nodule, or more than one, and the lymph nodes, are they cancerous?” At the time of the AP report, lymph-node test results had not yet been announced.

The Vatican hasn’t shared a detailed ongoing treatment plan. According to the AP, doctors were waiting for additional test results before discussing chemotherapy or other therapies. All audiences have been canceled through Tuesday, Oct. 20, and Leo was expected to spend about a week recovering in the hospital.

For now, the operation’s success is encouraging. Whether he needs additional treatment will depend on what those remaining tests show.



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