Pope Leo Diagnosed With Lung Cancer After Surgery, Vatican Says

The Vatican's Tuesday-evening announcement

The Vatican confirmed late Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer. The Holy See Press Office said surgeons at Rome's Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic removed the lower lobe of the pontiff's right lung, using a video-assisted technique, to make sure the tumor was taken out completely. A histological examination performed during the operation confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, which doctors had already suspected from earlier tests.

"The Holy Father was in the operating room for approximately three hours, while the procedure itself lasted about 90 minutes," the press office said in a statement prepared by Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope's personal physician, and Professor Stefano Margaritora, the thoracic surgeon who led the operation. "The operation was successful, and there were no complications. After surgery, the pope regained consciousness normally and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the 10th floor."

According to the Vatican, the 71-year-old pontiff walked into the hospital through its main entrance on Tuesday and waved to the well-wishers gathered outside. He is being accompanied at Gemelli by his two secretaries, the religious sisters who assist him, and his physician.

A steady recovery at Rome's Gemelli hospital

On Wednesday, the Vatican said Pope Leo's postoperative recovery is progressing well. Pope Leo had a calm first night and underwent scheduled blood tests and chest X-rays in the morning; according to the statement, the results were within the expected range for this kind of operation.

The pontiff asked for dinner shortly after surgery and spent Tuesday evening with his secretaries and other Vatican staff, Matteo Bruni, the director of the Holy See Press Office, said. On Wednesday he began respiratory physiotherapy and started walking around his room. Doctors expect him to stay in the hospital for about a week while further tests are carried out on the removed tissue.

A Vatican source said those tests will determine whether the cancer has spread. No decision has yet been made on further treatment, and the doctors have not discussed chemotherapy or similar therapies at this stage. Oncologists quoted by Vatican-focused outlets said the prognosis was excellent because the nodule was found and removed at such an early stage.

All of the pope's public events through October 20 have been cancelled while he recovers. In St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle led a Mass marking the 10th anniversary of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, with special prayers for the pontiff's health.

A pope who broke the news himself

The American-born pontiff had disclosed the health issue himself. Addressing the crowd in St. Peter's Square at the Sunday Angelus on October 11, he said doctors had found a small nodule on his lung during a routine checkup, detected at a very early stage, and that he had decided on his doctors' advice to have it removed. He thanked the faithful for their "spiritual closeness" and said he relied on their prayer.

Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 8, 2025, becoming the first pope from the United States and the first member of the Augustinian order to lead the Catholic Church. He spent years as a missionary in Peru, later serving as bishop of Chiclayo and acquiring Peruvian citizenship before his election.

What the diagnosis means for the Church

The health of the pope draws attention far beyond the church's walls, and the diagnosis comes just over a year into a pontificate that has already seen several firsts. Lung cancer remains the world's leading cause of cancer deaths, and oncologists have long emphasized that finding it early makes a decisive difference, which this case illustrates.

The Vatican has published unusually detailed medical bulletins throughout, naming the surgical team and the diagnosis. More test results are due in the coming days, and Pope Leo's recovery at Gemelli continues under observation. Further detail is available in EWTN Vatican's full report on the diagnosis and Healthline's coverage of the pope's recovery.