Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery on Tuesday, October 13, to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, the Vatican said, releasing a statement from his doctors at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital.
What doctors said
The operation lasted about 90 minutes and was described as successful. The pope woke normally, was observed briefly and returned to his room on the hospital’s 10th floor. Examination of the removed tissue confirmed an earlier test showing lung adenocarcinoma.
The Vatican has not announced any further treatment or given a prognosis. It said the pope had effectively cleared his public schedule for several days, through at least October 20.
About lung adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinoma is the most common form of lung cancer, accounting for about 40% of cases in the United States, according to the Lung Cancer Foundation of America. It is a type of non-small cell lung cancer and is also the form most often found in people who have never smoked. Leo is not known to have been a smoker.
Removing an entire lobe — a procedure called a lobectomy — is a standard treatment when cancer is found at an early stage and is confined to one part of the lung. Depending on what doctors find in the tissue and nearby lymph nodes, some patients need no further treatment, while others are offered chemotherapy, targeted drugs or immunotherapy to lower the risk of recurrence. Many people return to normal activity within weeks, although full recovery of stamina can take longer.
A relatively young, active pope
At 71, Leo is relatively young for a pope. Born Robert Prevost in Chicago, he became the first American pope when he was elected in May 2025. He remains physically active, working out weekly, playing tennis with his personal secretary and riding horses at the papal retreat of Castel Gandolfo.
Cancer has touched his family. On the same day as the surgery, the Vatican said his older brother Louis, who lives in Florida, was in hospital with a form of cancer. Their mother, Mildred, died of cancer in 1990 at the age of 77. In a 1984 letter written while he lived in Rome, the future pope told friends that “my mother continues to undergo chemotherapy treatments,” adding that she was coping well.
Screening matters
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, largely because it is often found late. Health authorities in many countries now recommend annual low-dose CT screening for adults at higher risk, typically those with a significant smoking history. Anyone with a persistent cough, coughing up blood, unexplained weight loss or ongoing chest pain should see a doctor.