Pope Leo XIV is recovering in a hospital in Rome after undergoing what the Vatican described as “successful” surgery to remove part of his right lung, where doctors had found a cancerous growth.
The Vatican said on the evening of October 13 that the operation went “according to plan” and that the pope “has returned to his room.”
“The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled,” Dr. Luigi Carbone, the pope's personal physician, and Professor Stefano Margaritora, who performed the surgery, said in a statement. “The lower lobe of the right lung was removed using video-assisted surgery.”
Further analysis of the removed tissue showed signs of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer, the doctors said. The operation lasted about 90 minutes.
The procedure was performed at Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic, a private hospital in northwest Rome with longstanding ties to the Vatican. It is the first hospital stay of Leo’s pontificate.
On October 11, the 71-year-old pontiff told people gathered in St. Peter’s Square that doctors had found a “nodule” in his lung and recommended removing it. He said the growth was discovered “at a very early stage” and was “well-contained.”
Indeed, lung cancer is one of the most common, most dangerous, and most frequently talked about forms of cancer in the world. For decades, diagnoses and deaths continued to rise due to the lack of a known cure. However, a shift is underway. As awareness of lung cancer's causes grows, the number of new cases has been declining since 2008. Nevertheless, much work still lies ahead.
Read on to learn everything you need to know to better protect yourself and your loved ones from lung cancer.