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Pope Leo XIV diagnosed with lung cancer, Vatican confirms after surgery
The Vatican said Tuesday evening that intraoperative tests confirmed lung adenocarcinoma in Pope Leo XIV; surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The operation was successful with no complications.
Why it matters
The 71-year-old pontiff is the first pope in recent memory to be diagnosed with cancer while in office. The Vatican says the tumor was caught early during routine checks and surgically removed, but staging and any further treatment depend on pending test results.
Full report
The Holy See Press Office issued a medical bulletin Tuesday evening (Oct 13): the pope underwent scheduled thoracic surgery that afternoon at Rome's Agostino Gemelli University Hospital. Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung using a video-assisted technique to ensure "radical" removal of the tumor. An intraoperative histological examination confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by preoperative tests.
The statement was issued by the pope's personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, and the operating surgeon, thoracic surgery professor Stefano Margaritora. The pope spent about three hours in the operating room; the procedure itself lasted about 90 minutes. The operation was successful with no complications, and the pope regained consciousness normally before returning to his room on the 10th floor.
The Vatican said lymph nodes were also removed and sent for testing to determine whether the cancer had spread; those results are pending, and doctors have not discussed chemotherapy or other therapies pending further tests. Leo XIV had announced the operation publicly on Sunday from the balcony of St. Peter's Square, saying at the time the nodule was "contained" and found at a "very early stage." The Vatican said the pope spent a tranquil night at Gemelli, with more information expected Wednesday; all public events through Oct 20 had already been cancelled.
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