Pope Leo recovering well after cancer surgery, Vatican says

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

Pope Leo talks with his personal physician, Luigi Carbone, upon arriving at Gemelli hospital before surgery to remove a lung nodule, in Rome, Italy, October 13, 2026 [Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters]

Pope Leo XIV is out of bed, walking, eating and has undergone respiratory physiotherapy, according to a doctor’s note published by the Vatican a day after his lung cancer surgery.

A blood test and chest X-ray revealed “normal post-operative” progress, doctors Luigi Carbone and Stefano Margaritora said, adding that values were “within the expected range for the type of procedure performed”.

“The Holy Father underwent respiratory physiotherapy and has begun walking in his room”, they said, adding that “he resumed his regular diet and had breakfast and lunch.”

“Recovery is proceeding as planned,” the doctors said.

Part of lung removed

The 71-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with cancer after an operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, according to a medical bulletin published by the Vatican on Tuesday.

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.

The Vatican said the procedure lasted 90 minutes and that the surgery “was successful, and there were no complications”.

A medical statement shared by The Holy See’s press office, following the surgery, noted 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.

After the procedure, Pope Leo 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.

这位71岁的教宗在罗马杰梅利医院接受手术切除肺部癌性肿瘤后正在康复中。

2026年10月13日，教宗利奥三世抵达意大利罗马杰梅利医院，在接受肺部结节切除手术前与他的私人医生路易吉·卡尔博内交谈。[Guglielmo Mangiapane/路透社]

据梵蒂冈在教皇利奥十四世肺癌手术后第二天发布的医生证明，教皇已经下床活动、行走、进食，并接受了呼吸理疗。

医生 Luigi Carbone 和 Stefano Margaritora 表示，血液检查和胸部 X 光检查显示术后恢复“正常”，并补充说，这些数值“在所进行手术类型的预期范围内”。

他们说：“教宗接受了呼吸理疗，并已开始在房间里散步”，并补充说，“他已恢复正常饮食，吃了早餐和午餐”。

医生们说：“康复工作正按计划进行。”

部分肺叶切除

据梵蒂冈周二发布的一份医疗公告称，这位71岁的教宗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。

梵蒂冈方面表示，手术持续了90分钟，手术“非常成功，没有出现并发症”。

手术后，教廷新闻办公室发表的一份医疗声明指出，对肺叶进行“彻底”切除，表明医生已切除所有可疑组织，希望消除任何残留的癌症痕迹。

手术后，教皇利奥返回罗马杰梅利医院的病房，预计将在那里休养一周，10 月 20 日之前的所有接见活动均已取消。

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。