Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma after undergoing surgery to remove part of his right lung, the Vatican announced, marking a major health setback for the 71-year-old pontiff.
According to a medical bulletin issued by the Vatican, tissue tests conducted during the operation confirmed the diagnosis, which doctors had suspected based on preliminary examinations.
The Pope was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a growth discovered during a recent routine medical examination.
His lead surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, and personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said the operation lasted approximately 90 minutes and was completed successfully without complications.
The medical team removed the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung using a video-assisted surgical technique, with the aim of eliminating all cancerous tissue.
However, further details about the tumour’s size and whether the cancer had spread to nearby lymph nodes have not been disclosed.
Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer specialist at Georgetown University in Washington, said determining the stage of the disease would be essential to assessing the Pope’s prognosis and deciding on further treatment.
He explained that surgery could be curative if the cancer was small and had not spread to the lymph nodes, while more extensive involvement could indicate a less favourable prognosis.
The Vatican said Pope Leo regained consciousness normally after the operation and returned to his hospital room to rest.
He is expected to remain in hospital for approximately a week, while all his public engagements have been cancelled until October 20.
The pontiff was seen waving to well-wishers from a black sports utility vehicle as he travelled from the Vatican to Gemelli Hospital, approximately nine kilometres away. Upon arrival, he greeted several officials and acknowledged members of the public gathered outside the hospital.
Elected by the world’s cardinals in May 2025, Pope Leo, born Robert Prevost in Chicago in 1955, is relatively young for a leader of the Catholic Church. Before his election, he spent decades serving as a missionary and bishop in Peru.
The Pope is known to enjoy sports, including tennis, and has no known recent history of major health problems, according to the report.
His predecessor, Pope Francis, experienced several hospitalisations during his later years and died in April 2025 at the age of 88.
Despite his current health setback, Pope Leo had been maintaining a busy schedule. He was due to undertake an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6 to 17, although it remains uncertain whether the trip will proceed as planned.
As the supreme authority of the Catholic Church, which has approximately 1.4 billion followers worldwide, the Pope does not have a deputy who automatically assumes his responsibilities during illness. Vatican administrative operations continue when a pontiff is incapacitated, while decisions requiring his direct approval are deferred.
Pope Leo previously spoke about a serious illness he experienced in 1985, when he contracted typhoid fever while serving as a young priest in Chulucanas, Peru. He later recalled the severity of the experience in a book published by Penguin Peru, saying it had a profound impact on his outlook on life and religious calling.
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