Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after doctors removed the lower lobe of his right lung.
Tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin after the surgery. It said the diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests and was confirmed during surgery.
The 71-year-old was in the operating room for about 3 hours, the statement said. The surgery itself lasted approximately 90 minutes. “The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the statement said.
“To ensure a radical resection, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique,” the Vatican said in the statement. “Intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as suspected from pre-operative tests.”
According to the Vatican, the Pope “regained consciousness normally” following the procedure and was then taken back to his room on the 10th floor of Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
Earlier in the day, Leo had walked into Gemelli Hospital through the main entrance and waved to dozens of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him.
The Vatican said the surgery was performed by a team led by Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora.