Pope Leo XIV’s surgery to remove a lung nodule has been completed, according to the Vatican, which added that a surgical procedure confirmed he has lung cancer.
Earlier, the Vatican said in a statement that the pope’s operation was "successfully completed, on time and as planned," and that the pontiff has returned to his room.
The nodule was discovered during routine checks and was well localised and in its early stages, according to the Vatican, during the operation at Rome's Gemelli hospital.
The surgical team was led by Stefano Margaritora, head of the hospital’s thoracic surgery unit.
The Vatican later said the pope, 71, has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
"An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the preoperative examinations," Vatican News reported, citing doctors.
No complications
Lung adenocarcinoma is known as the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), accounting for roughly 40% of all lung cancer cases.
The pope was in the operating room for approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes.
"The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications," according to the report.
About 1 in 5 lung cancer diagnoses occur in people with no smoking history.
Causes in non-smokers can include genetic factors, radon exposure, or other environmental/occupational risks — no specific cause has been identified in Pope’s case, and the nodule was found incidentally (not because of symptoms).
