According to a report by Reuters on October 13th, the Vatican stated in a medical bulletin that Pope Leo was diagnosed with lung cancer on Tuesday. Previously, surgeons had removed part of his right lung. This is a major health setback for the 71-year-old Pope.
The communiqué states that the Pope has lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of cancer; tissue tests performed during the surgery confirmed the results that doctors had already suspected during preoperative examinations.
Leo was admitted to the Rome Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday for surgery to remove a mass that had been detected during a routine health check-up by the doctors.
The Pope’s chief surgeon, Dr. Stefano Margariotto, and his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Calbonne, stated in a statement that the surgery lasted about 90 minutes and was very successful, with no complications occurring.
They stated that in order to achieve a curative outcome from the surgery, doctors used video-assisted technology to remove the right lower lobe of the lung, with the clear goal of removing all cancer tissue.
A medical expert stated that in order to assess the Pope’s condition, it is necessary to know the size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. However, the Vatican did not provide this information immediately.
Although we have preliminary diagnoses, there has been no definite timeline. This is crucial to prognosis and treatment," said Dr. Stephen Liu, a lung cancer specialist at Washington George Washington University Medical Center and Director of the Department of Hematology Oncology at MedStar Georgetown Hospital.
"If this is a small lung cancer that has not yet affected lymph nodes, surgery itself could be very likely to cure it," he told Reuters. "But if the final analysis reveals the cancer spans a wider area, then the prognosis will be worse."
According to the medical bulletin, the Pope regained consciousness smoothly after the surgery and returned to the ward to rest. Earlier this week, the Vatican stated that he was expected to remain hospitalized for about a week, and all public activities had been canceled until October 20th.
Before the surgery, Leo left the Vatican shortly before 1 pm local time. As the convoy drove towards Jemeli Hospital, located about 9 kilometers north of the Vatican, someone saw him waving goodbye from the back seat of a black SUV.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Leo shook hands with several officials and walked past a group of waiting supporters—some of whom shouted “Auguri” (meaning blessings). Then, he entered through the main door.
Leo was elected as the church leader in May 2025, making him relatively young compared to other church leaders. He enjoys sports, including tennis, and there have been no reports of smoking or any recent health issues. Leo's predecessor was the late Pope Francis. Francis had a declining health throughout his later years and was hospitalized several times before passing away in April 2025 at the age of 88.
The Pope is the supreme secular authority of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, and there is no deputy to assume his duties when he is ill. When the Pope is unable to perform his duties, the operations of the Vatican's large bureaucratic apparatus continue as usual, but any decisions that require the Pope's approval will be postponed.
Leo was born in Chicago in 1955. His original name was Robert Prevoost. Before becoming a pope, he served as a missionary and bishop in Peru for several decades. In 1985, when he was still a young priest, he contracted typhoid fever in Chulucanas, Peru, and was hospitalized for treatment.
Leo said that the pain was so intense that he prayed to God to let him die instead of continue suffering. He said that his survival was seen as a signal from God: “We need you here (on Earth).”
