Pope Leo XIV Diagnosed With Lung Cancer, Part of Lung Removed; in Stable Condition

[Financial News] Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer and had part of his right lung removed. The Vatican said the surgery was successful and that the pope would rest briefly before proceeding with his overseas schedule next month as planned.
According to France's AFP news agency, the Vatican explained this in a statement on the 13th. The 71-year-old Leo XIV was admitted that day to Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, Italy, for surgery to remove a nodule found in his lung. At a weekly blessing and prayer service held in St. Peter's Square on the 11th, he said that a nodule described as “at a very early stage and confined to a localized area” had been discovered during a recent medical checkup and that doctors had recommended surgery.
However, tests confirmed that the pope's lung nodule was lung adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer that accounts for about 40% of all lung cancers. The Vatican said, “We removed the lower lobe of the right lung to eradicate the cancer cells,” and added, “This surgery confirmed the diagnosis of ‘lung adenocarcinoma’ that had been suspected in preoperative tests.”
The survival rate for this cancer varies depending on its progression and the patient's health. Dr. Sudish Murthy, a thoracic surgeon in the United States, said that based on the information disclosed so far about Pope Leo's condition, it appears to be early-stage lung cancer, which is generally treated with surgery and has a very high survival rate.
The Vatican said, “The pope remained in the operating room for nearly three hours in total, and the actual surgery took about 90 minutes,” adding, “The surgery was very successful, with no side effects or complications.” After the surgery, the pope regained consciousness normally and was moved to a private room on the 10th floor of Rome's Gemelli Hospital. A Vatican official said the pope had recovered enough to ask for dinner after returning to his room.
The Vatican had previously said that Leo XIV would recover in the hospital for about a week after surgery and that all audiences scheduled through the 20th would be canceled. It said he would go ahead as planned with his visit to South America next month.
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