Pope Leo diagnosed with cancer after surgery to remove part of lung

The 71-year-old is recovering in Rome’s Gemelli hospital after surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his lung.

Pope Leo XIV arrives at the Gemelli University Hospital in Rome for an operation to remove a nodule from his lung on October 13, 2026 [AFP]

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with cancer after an operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, according to a medical bulletin published by the Vatican.

Tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the Vatican added, noting the diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests. It did not provide details on the recovery outlook or course of treatment.

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In a statement released Tuesday, the Vatican said the procedure lasted 90 minutes and that the surgery “was successful, and there were no complications”.

The 71-year-old has returned to his room at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he is expected to recover for a week, with all his audiences through October 20 cancelled.

The Vatican said doctors are not currently discussing chemotherapy or other therapies pending the results of other tests.

The Holy See’s press office noted the medical statement spoke of the “radical” removal of the lobe as an indication that doctors removed all suspect tissue in the hope of eliminating any lingering traces of the cancer.

Before the procedure, Leo waved to dozens of well-wishers gathered at the hospital’s main entrance.

In an unusually transparent update on papal health, Leo first revealed that doctors found a small nodule during his Sunday noon prayer in St Peter’s Square.

“The doctors believe it’s best to take action, so, following their advice, I’ve decided to have surgery to remove it,” he said during remarks delivered in Italian.

The pope has no reported history of serious illness and is considered physically active, routinely swimming and playing tennis.

The surgery comes ahead of an official Latin America tour scheduled for November 6-17, with stops planned across Uruguay, Argentina and Peru.

It is unclear whether his recovery will affect the ambitious itinerary, which includes a dozen flights, two helicopter rides and significant altitude changes in Peru.

The pope told reporters on Sunday that he intends to make the journey.

这位71岁的老人在罗马杰梅利医院接受了肺部癌性肿瘤切除手术后正在康复中。

2026年10月13日，教宗利奥十四世抵达罗马杰梅利大学医院，接受肺部结节切除手术。[法新社]

据梵蒂冈发布的一份医疗公告称，教宗利奥十四世在接受右肺下叶切除手术后被诊断出患有癌症。

梵蒂冈方面补充说，检查结果证实患者患有肺腺癌，并指出术前检查已怀疑为肺腺癌。梵蒂冈方面没有提供有关患者康复情况或治疗方案的细节。

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梵蒂冈周二发表声明称，手术持续了90分钟，手术“很成功，没有出现并发症”。

这位 71 岁的老人已经返回罗马杰梅利医院的病房，预计将在那里休养一周，他 10 月 20 日之前的所有演出都已取消。

梵蒂冈方面表示，医生们目前尚未讨论化疗或其他疗法，需等待其他检查结果。

圣座新闻办公室指出，医疗声明中提到“彻底”切除了肺叶，这表明医生切除了所有可疑组织，希望消除任何残留的癌症痕迹。

手术前，利奥向聚集在医院正门的数十名祝福者挥手致意。

在一次罕见地公开的教宗健康状况更新中，利奥首先透露，医生在他周日中午于圣彼得广场祈祷时发现了一个小结节。

“医生们认为最好采取行动，所以，听从他们的建议，我决定接受手术将其切除，”他在用意大利语发表讲话时说道。

教皇没有被报道患有严重疾病，而且身体健康，经常游泳和打网球。

此次手术是在正式的拉丁美洲巡回演出之前进行的，该演出计划于 11 月 6 日至 17 日举行，途经乌拉圭、阿根廷和秘鲁。

目前尚不清楚他的康复是否会影响他雄心勃勃的行程安排，其中包括十几次飞行、两次直升机飞行以及在秘鲁经历的显著海拔变化。

教皇周日告诉记者，他打算进行这次旅行。