Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer, Vatican says

The pope had the lower lobe of his right lung removed during surgery Tuesday.

By Phoebe Natanson, Kevin Shalvey, and Mary Kekatos

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery to have the lower lobe of his right lung removed, the Vatican said on Tuesday.

In a release from the Holy See Press Office, Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora explained that the pontiff underwent a minimally invasive camera-guided surgical procedure.

"The intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by the preoperative tests," the press release read.

"The Holy Father was in the operating room for about three hours; the surgery itself lasted approximately 90 minutes. The surgery was successful, and there were no complications," the release continued.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Vatican said the procedure was "successfully completed."

"The procedure was successfully completed, on schedule and as planned, and the Holy Father has returned to his room," the Vatican press office said in a statement.

The pontiff departed the Vatican on Tuesday for Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome.

"As announced, Pope Leo XIV has been admitted to the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital," the Vatican press office said in a statement. "This afternoon, he will undergo surgery for a lung nodule performed by the thoracic surgery team led by Professor Stefano Margaritora."

The Vatican said additional information would be provided on Tuesday evening.

Video posted by Vatican News on Tuesday featured Pope Leo arriving at the hospital, shaking hands and greeting staff.

The Rosary prayer was recited in the hospital chapel Tuesday evening, attended by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the Vicar General for the Diocese of Rome.

"Together, let us raise our prayer that the Lord may sustain our bishop, Pope Leo, and bring comfort to all those who are hospitalized here," Reina said. "May Mary, Health of the Sick and Mother of the Church, accompany our prayer and teach us to remain steadfast in love."

The pontiff said on Sunday he would undergo surgery for a nodule found on his lung, adding that the operation was to take place in the "next few days." His recovery at the hospital in Rome was expected to last about a week, the Vatican said.

A lung nodule, also known as a pulmonary nodule, is a small mass of dense tissue on the lung, according to the American Lung Association (ALA). Leo on Sunday said the nodule was discovered by doctors in "a very initial phase" and that it was "well localized."

"The doctors think it is opportune to intervene," the 71-year-old said.

Nodules can be caused by a variety of factors including scar tissue, lung irritants, inflammatory conditions, current or past infections, or cancer. Most nodules are benign, according to the ALA. They are diagnosed with imaging tests including an X-ray or a CT scan.

Depending on the size, appearance, growth and cause of nodules, they can be either be monitored regularly by a physician or treated with medication or surgery.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of State, said that as he listened to Leo's announcement on Sunday, he was "struck by his serenity," according to Vatican media.

"We are confident," he reportedly said. "And of course we all accompany him with our prayers and our affection."

Gemelli Hospital, which is formally the Policlinico Universitario Fondazione Agostino Gemelli, is the largest hospital in Rome.

It's the primary medical facility commonly used by popes, including Leo's immediate predecessor, Pope Francis, who died in 2025 at the age of 88.

Leo, a Chicago native and the first American pope, who was previously Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected the church's 267th pontiff in May 2025.