October 14, 2026
Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung cancer after surgeons removed a part of his right lung on Tuesday, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin, marking a significant health setback for the 71-year-old pontiff.
The pope has lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of cancer, with tissue tests conducted during the operation confirming what doctors had suspected from preparatory examinations, the bulletin said.
Leo was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove the growth that doctors had discovered in a recent routine health check.
The pope’s lead surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, and his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said in a statement that the procedure lasted about 90 minutes and was successful, with no complications.
“In order to make the procedure curative, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique,” they said, making clear that the aim was to eliminate all cancerous tissue.
A medical expert said that in order to assess the pope’s case, they would need to know the size of the tumor and whether the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes, information the Vatican did not immediately provide.
“While we have the diagnosis, we do not yet have the stage. This is critical to prognosis and treatment,” said Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown University in Washington and division chief of hematology-oncology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.