Rome – The Vatican announced Wednesday that Pope Leo XIV spent a tranquil night in the Gemelli Hospital following surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after a cancer diagnosis was confirmed during the procedure.
Successful operation and immediate recovery
The Pope was in the operating room for about three hours, with the actual removal lasting roughly 90 minutes. The Vatican statement said the surgery was successful and there were no complications, and that Pope Leo returned to his room afterward.
Doctors removed the affected lung lobe and also took lymph nodes for testing to determine whether the cancer had spread. No results for the lymph‑node analysis have been released yet.
Medical outlook
Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung‑cancer specialist at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, explained that adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer and generally carries a favorable prognosis when caught early. He said the next steps involve staging the cancer – determining its size, number of nodules, and whether lymph nodes are involved – before deciding on any further therapy such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted oral medication.
Oncologists noted that because the tumor was removed at an early stage, the Pope’s outlook is expected to be excellent, provided no further spread is found.
Impact on planned travel
The Vatican has cancelled all papal audiences through Oct. 20. Pope Leo’s upcoming South American trip, scheduled for Nov. 6‑17 to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, remains uncertain. Surgeons typically advise patients to avoid flying for three weeks after such an operation. If the cancer is staged as early‑stage, doctors may allow the travel; otherwise, they would likely recommend postponement.
While the Pope usually resides in a dedicated papal apartment on the 10th floor of the Gemelli Hospital, that suite is under renovation, so he is staying in a nearby room.
Vatican transparency
Since the discovery of the lung nodule during his Sunday noon prayer, Pope Leo has been unusually open about his health, marking the first publicly disclosed major health issue of his 17‑month papacy. The Vatican said more information will be provided as test results become available.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
