Pope Leo XIV diagnosed with lung cancer after successful surgery at Rome hospital

Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing a successful surgical procedure at Rome’s Gemelli University Hospital to remove a nodular lesion.

As reported, the pope has lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of cancer, with tissue tests conducted during the operation confirming what doctors had suspected from preparatory examinations.

Leo was admitted to Rome's Gemelli hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove the growth that doctors had discovered in a recent routine health check.

The pope's lead surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margaritora, and his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said in a statement that the procedure lasted about 90 minutes and was successful, with no complications.

"In order to make the procedure curative, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique," they said, making clear that the aim was to eliminate all cancerous tissue.

Human lungs have five lobes-three in the right lung and two in the left.

The Vatican announced that the 90-minute operation, led by chief thoracic surgeons, involved removing the lower lobe of the pontiff's right lung after tissue samples confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

Holy See representatives confirmed that the procedure went according to plan and without complications, with the pope resting normally in his hospital room.

Out of an abundance of caution, all official public audiences and appearances have been suspended through October 20 to accommodate his initial post-operative recovery.

A medical expert said that in ⁠order to assess the pope's case they would need to know the size of the tumour and whether the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes, information the Vatican did not immediately provide.

"While we have the diagnosis, we do not yet have the stage. This is critical to prognosis and treatment," said Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown University in Washington and division chief of hematology-oncology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

"If this is a small lung cancer with no lymph nodes involved, surgery itself is likely to be curative," he told Reuters. "But if final analysis reveals a greater extent of cancer involvement, this indicates a poorer prognosis."

While medical teams continue evaluating subsequent therapeutic steps, global leaders and the faithful worldwide have rallied behind the pontiff with messages of widespread support and solidarity.