Shortly after the Catholic world breathed a sigh of relief at the news that Pope Leo XIV had successfully undergone surgery to remove a nodule in his right lung, the Vatican reported that the 71-year-old pontiff had been diagnosed with pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer.
Leo XIV underwent thoracic surgery this Tuesday, October 13, during which doctors removed the lower lobe of the affected lung.
The histological examination performed during the procedure confirmed the diagnosis that had already been suspected based on preoperative tests, the medical team that treated the pontiff reported in a statement.
Diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma confirmed
The same medical report stated that the operation was carried out as planned and concluded without complications. The procedure lasted approximately 90 minutes, although the pontiff remained in the operating room for nearly three hours.
“To ensure that the procedure was radical, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed,” the Holy See said in a statement.
The operation was performed by the thoracic surgery medical team led by Professor Stefano Margaritora.
The procedure “confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as suspected based on the preoperative tests,” the statement adds, which was also signed by Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Margaritora.
“The Holy Father was in the operating room for around three hours, and the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes,” the statement specifies. “The procedure was successful, and there were no complications.”
Meanwhile, an unidentified source at the Vatican told the AFP news agency that further tests were being carried out to establish whether the cancer had spread.
The Holy See had estimated that the pope’s recovery would take approximately one week, with less than a month remaining before a long trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, scheduled for November 6 to 17.
Until now, the Vatican had not admitted that this concern already existed before the surgery.
Spain’s El Pais focused on the expression “radical procedure” contained in the statement and, citing Vatican sources, reported that it refers to the doctors’ decision to remove tissue to ensure that no diseased cells remained.
“The same sources indicate that the expected recovery period remains one week, as previously announced, but they do not go so far as to discuss possible subsequent treatments,” the Spanish newspaper adds.
Adenocarcinoma is a malignant tumor, but it will be necessary to wait between 10 and 14 days for the tests to determine the exact type of cancer cells and the treatment to be followed, the doctors consulted indicate.
Depending on the extent of the tumor’s penetration, the condition may be considered resolved through surgery, or it may be necessary to resort to chemotherapy or radiotherapy.