By Crystal Ugoeze
Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer following surgery to remove part of his right lung at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, the Vatican has confirmed.
The 71-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer, after surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung in an operation that lasted approximately 90 minutes. The Vatican described the procedure as successful.
Laboratory tests conducted during the operation confirmed the cancer doctors had suspected following earlier medical examinations.
According to the Vatican, the pope regained consciousness normally after the procedure and was returned to his hospital room.
The operation followed the discovery of a lung nodule during a routine medical examination. Pope Leo had disclosed the finding during his Sunday Angelus address at St Peter’s Square, informing worshippers that doctors had identified the growth at an early stage.
He said medical specialists had recommended surgery and that he had agreed to undergo the procedure.
The operation was led by thoracic surgeon Stefano Margaritora, alongside the pope’s personal physician, Luigi Carbone. Surgeons reportedly used a video-assisted technique to remove the affected section of the lung and eliminate the cancerous tissue.
The Vatican has not disclosed the size of the tumour or whether the disease has spread to other parts of the body.
Stephen Liu, a lung cancer specialist at Georgetown University in Washington, told Reuters that determining the stage of the cancer would be crucial in assessing the pope’s prognosis and deciding whether additional treatment would be necessary.
Liu explained that surgery alone can sometimes be sufficient when a small tumour is removed before the cancer spreads to nearby lymph nodes.
Further examinations are underway to establish whether the disease has spread beyond the lung, according to a Vatican source cited by AFP.
Pope Leo arrived at Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday afternoon, where crowds gathered to welcome him. He waved to those waiting outside before entering the facility.
The Vatican expects the pontiff to remain in hospital for approximately one week. His public engagements have been cancelled until October 20.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, said he had spoken with the pope before the operation and described him as calm despite the diagnosis.
Pope Leo became the first American-born pontiff in May 2025, following the death of Pope Francis. Born Robert Prevost in Chicago, he spent much of his religious career in Peru before becoming head of the Catholic Church.
He had no publicly known history of major respiratory illness before doctors discovered the lung nodule.
The pope is scheduled to visit Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November, although the Vatican has not confirmed whether the trip will proceed as planned.
His predecessor, Pope Francis, also received treatment at Gemelli Hospital for a respiratory illness before his death in April 2025.