Pope Leo, 71, Has Lung Cancer

Pope Leo XIV, 71, has lung cancer, the Vatican announced Tuesday, Oct. 13, after testing during surgery confirmed the diagnosis. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital. Doctors had suspected cancer before the operation.

“An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the preoperative examinations,” the doctors said, per Vatican News.

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The procedure lasted about 90 minutes, with Leo spending roughly three hours in the operating room.

“The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the statement from the Vatican said.

Earlier that day, Leo walked through the hospital’s main entrance and waved to dozens of well-wishers. Dr. Stefano Margaritora, Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, led the surgical team.

The Vatican expects Leo to spend about a week recovering in the hospital and has canceled his audiences through Oct. 20. The bulletin did not disclose the cancer’s stage or whether he would need further treatment. After his surgery, Pope Leo was served dinner in his room, the Vatican said.

What is lung adenocarcinoma?

Adenocarcinoma begins in mucus-producing cells in the lungs. It is the most common form of non-small cell lung cancer, according to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America.

Although it tends to occur in people who smoke or previously smoked, it is also the most common lung cancer among people who do not smoke.

Leo first disclosed the nodule during his Sunday noon prayer in St. Peter’s Square. He said doctors had discovered it during recent medical tests and recommended surgery. He described the nodule as “very early-stage and well-localized.”

How do doctors treat a cancerous lung nodule?

When doctors suspect early-stage lung cancer, “the standard of care is treatment with curative intent,” explains Dr. Michael Spallone, a thoracic surgeon at Hackensack University Medical Center.

In other words, the goal is to cure the cancer. For a localized cancerous nodule, Spallone’s primary approach is surgery to remove the nodule and surrounding tissue.

For localized, early-stage lung cancer, surgeons can often use minimally invasive techniques to remove the nodule and surrounding tissue, Spallone says. This allows for a faster recovery, he explains.

For older patients whose other health conditions make surgery too risky, Spallone says focused, high-dose radiation can offer an alternative.

Does every lung nodule mean cancer?

No. Lung nodules — an abnormal growth or a mass on the lungs — become more common after 50, but many are scars from old infections or areas of inflammation, Spallone explains.

Older adults also tend to undergo more imaging tests, increasing the chances that doctors will find a spot that causes no symptoms.

“When a nodule is found in an older adult, it can be terrifying for the patient, but it is important to remember that the overwhelming majority of these nodules are benign,” Spallone says.