Vatican confirms Pope Leo underwent surgery for lung cancer
Published October 13, 2026last updated October 13, 2026
Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove a nodule from his lung that later was reported to be cancerous, the Vatican said, adding the pope "woke up normally" after the procedure.
"The procedure was completed successfully, within the expected timeframe and as planned," said a brief Vatican statement.
The Vatican said in a medical bulletin that he lower lobe of Leo's right lung was removed, and he was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer.
The Vatican said the diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests and was confirmed during surgery.
The surgery at Rome's prestigious Gemelli hospital, which has been the main site of treatment for popes for decades, lasted about three hours. Leo's recovery is expected to take about a week, the statement added.
According to oncologists, Leo has an excellent prognosis since the cancerous nodule was caught so early.
A Vatican source cited by AFP news agency said further tests were being carried out to determine if the cancer had spread further.
Shift in transparency
Leo, 71, disclosed the health issue to thousands of worshippers at a prayer service on Sunday, making a marked shift in the level of transparency about his health compared to his predecessors.
In the past, the Vatican has often been accused of making confusing or extremely vague statements about popes' health, if revealing at information at all.
All of the pontiff's engagements have been cancelled through October 20. He is still likely to take a planned trip to South America in November.
Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez, Wesley Dockery, Zac Crellin
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the pope underwent surgery for seven hours. The duration of his surgey was actually three hours.
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