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Pope Leo, 71, to Have Surgery to Remove Lung Nodule

Doctors found the growth during a routine checkup. Here’s what to know about this common finding and how it’s treated

2-minute read

Donna Freydkin,

AARP

Published October 12, 2026

Pope Leo XIV, seen here during his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 16, 2026, in Vatican City, is having a lung nodule removed.

Simone Risoluti - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images

Key takeaways

The Vatican has not said whether the pope’s nodule is cancerous.
Lung nodules can develop from past infections, scar tissue or inflammatory conditions, according to the American Lung Association.
Some nodules need only follow-up scans. Doctors consider the size, appearance and a patient’s health history when deciding what comes next.

Pope Leo XIV, 71, will undergo surgery to remove a nodule on his lung, he announced during his Sunday noon blessing on Oct. 11, according to The Associated Press.

“Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung. It was detected at a very early stage and is well localized,” he said while addressing the crowd in St. Peter’s Square, according to the English translation published by Vatican News.

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The Vatican said the operation would take place early this week, with recovery expected to take about a week. The announcement marks the first major health event of Leo’s 17-month papacy, according to AP.

Lung health

A lung nodule’s size and your smoking history can help determine whether you need follow-up testing, the Mayo Clinic says. For more on lung cancer symptoms that warrant a doctor’s visit, who should get screened and ways to lower your risk, read AARP’s guide on the warning signs of lung cancer.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni outlined the timing for reporters: “The operation is scheduled for the first days of this week, and the estimated post-operative recovery time will be about one week.”

The Vatican has not said whether the nodule is cancerous, Reuters reported on Oct. 11. Leo continued his scheduled meetings Monday morning, and the Vatican press office confirmed that the finding came during a routine health check, according to Reuters’ Oct. 12 report. He will be hospitalized on Tuesday.

What is a lung nodule?

A lung nodule is a small area of dense tissue that appears as a white spot on a chest X-ray or CT scan, according to the American Lung Association. Most are benign, meaning they are not cancerous.

Possible causes include scar tissue, current or past infections and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes doctors cannot identify a cause, the American Lung Association says.

How common are lung nodules after 50?

Lung nodules are common enough that many older adults may have one without knowing it.

Does a lung nodule need surgery?

Surgery is not always required. Doctors assess the nodule’s size and shape along with a patient’s health history, according to the American Lung Association. Sometimes the next step is another scan several months later to check for changes.

If the finding looks suspicious or a person’s history suggests a high cancer risk, doctors may recommend more imaging or a biopsy to examine a tissue sample. The American Lung Association recommends discussing the imaging report with your doctor and establishing a follow-up plan.

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Donna Freydkin has spent 10-plus years interviewing celebrities for major publications, and has written for a variety of outlets such as USA Today, Allure, Yahoo! and CNN covering topics such as films, family and favorite meals.