The pope had the lower lobe of his right lung removed during surgery Tuesday.
Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer, Vatican reveals following surgeryThe American pontiff underwent a procedure to remove a nodule, which was “successfully completed.” The pontiff is said not to have been a smoker.
ByPhoebe Natanson, Kevin Shalvey, and Mary Kekatos
October 13, 2026, 4:53 PM
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Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent surgery to have the lower lobe of his right lung removed, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
In a release from the Holy See Press Office, Dr. Luigi Carbone and Prof. Stefano Margaritora explained that the pontiff underwent a minimally invasive camera-guided surgical procedure.
RelatedPope Leo to be admitted to hospital on Tuesday for lung nodule surgery, Vatican says
“The intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by the preoperative tests,” the press release read.
“The Holy Father was in the operating room for about three hours; the surgery itself lasted approximately 90 minutes. The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the release continued.
