Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery in Rome

Rome, Italy. Pope Leo, 71, has been diagnosed with lung cancer following an operation on Tuesday that removed part of his right lung, according to a Vatican medical bulletin. The diagnosis represents a significant setback for the pontiff’s health.

Surgery and recovery

Leo entered Gemelli hospital in Rome on Tuesday to undergo surgery for a growth identified during a recent routine health examination.

His lead surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, and personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, reported that the operation took approximately 90 minutes, was successful and involved no complications. They said surgeons used a video-assisted technique to remove the right lung’s lower lobe, with the intention of eliminating all cancerous tissue and making the operation curative.

The bulletin said Leo regained consciousness normally following surgery and subsequently went back to his hospital room to rest.

Tissue tests confirm diagnosis

According to the Vatican bulletin, tests on tissue during the procedure confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, a common cancer type that doctors had suspected after examinations before surgery.

Human lungs contain five lobes: the right has three, while the left has two.

Cancer stage remains unclear

Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer specialist at Georgetown University in Washington and division chief of hematology-oncology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, said assessing the pope’s condition required information about the tumour’s size and whether it had reached his lymph nodes. The Vatican did not immediately release those details.

Liu said that although the diagnosis was known, the cancer’s stage had not yet been established, a distinction critical to both prognosis and treatment.

He told Reuters that surgery alone would probably be curative if the tumour was small and the lymph nodes were unaffected. However, he said a final analysis showing more extensive cancer involvement would point to a poorer prognosis.