The pontiff previously said the nodule was found “at a very early stage”

NEED TO KNOW

• Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer, The Vatican confirmed
• The Holy See Press Office previously announced had a “successful” surgery to remove a lung nodule
• The 71-year-old pontiff returned to his room after the planned procedure at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 13

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

Surgeons removed the lower lobe of the 71-year-old pontiff’s right lung during a surgical procedure at Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday, Oct. 13, according to a statement from Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora, released by the Holy See Press Office.

The “lung adenocarcinoma” diagnosis was confirmed by examining tissue during the operation, per the statement.

“The Pope was in the operating room approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes,” their statement read. “The doctors said it was successful and there were no complications.”

Officials continued, “Pope Leo awoke normally after surgery and, following a brief period of observation, returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor.”

Leo previously said the nodule was found “at a very early stage,” according to NBC News.

Pope Leo revealed that doctors had advised the surgical intervention while speaking at his weekly blessing and prayer in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Oct. 11, per The New York Times.

In his announcement, the pope reportedly said a “very early-stage and well-localized” nodule had been detected during recent medical tests.

This is the first hospitalization for Leo since he was named pontiff in May 2025, 

The Vatican previously said the Holy See was expected to spend about a week recovering in the hospital, per the Times.

Lung nodules are “a round area that is more dense than normal lung tissue” that appears on chest x-rays or CT scans, according to the American Thoracic Society website.

It is unclear what may have caused the nodule on the pope’s lung. 

Nodules are found in up to half of adults who get a chest x-ray or CT scan, the American Thoracic Society website said.

Though nodules can have a variety of causes, fewer than 5% of nodules result in a cancer diagnosis, it added.

“In general, small nodules don’t cause any noticeable problems,” the website stated. “They’re too small to cause pain or breathing problems.”

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