Pope Leo diagnosed with cancer after lung surgery
Pope Leo was diagnosed with a common type of lung cancer after undergoing surgery on Tuesday to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, according to a medical bulletin released by the Vatican.
The 71-year-old pontiff has lung adenocarcinoma, with tissue tests conducted during the operation confirming what doctors had suspected from preparatory examinations, the bulletin said, NTD news reported.
Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery on Tuesday to remove a lung nodule, with the Vatican confirming that the procedure was completed successfully as planned.
The 71-year-old Leo returned to his room after the surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, according to a statement from the Vatican spokesman, who promised further information at a later time, PBS news reported.
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Leo had walked into Rome’s Gemelli hospital through the main entrance earlier in the day and waved to dozens of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him. The Vatican said the surgery would be performed by a team led by Gemelli’s chief thoracic surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora.
The operation got under way as medical staff recited the Rosary prayer in the hospital chapel Tuesday evening. “Let us join together in prayer, asking the Lord to sustain our bishop, Pope Leo, and to comfort all those who are hospitalized here,” said the Vicar of Rome, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, at the start of the prayer.
The American pontiff has offered a rare level of transparency about the first publicly disclosed major health problem of his 17-month papacy. He revealed the discovery of the small, localized nodule during his Sunday noon prayer and announced that he would have it removed.
Oncologists say even if the nodule turns out to be cancerous, Leo’s prognosis is “excellent” since it will have been removed at an early stage.
The surgery, which is usually performed under general anesthesia, will require a weeklong hospital stay and the Vatican on Monday canceled all Leo’s audiences through Oct. 20.
“These are things that can be treated very well, if the words he used reflect the clinical situation,” said Dr. Lorenzo Spaggiari, director of thoracic surgery at the European Institute of Oncology, or EIO, in Milan, who is not involved in the pope’s care but knows the team at Gemelli.
But the decision clearly came as a surprise: While Gemelli has a specific papal apartment that past popes have used, complete with a private chapel on the 10th floor, Leo will actually be staying in a nearby room since the papal apartment is currently undergoing renovations, according to the Vatican press office.
