Pope Leo has cancerous growth removed in lung operation

Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery after doctors found a lung nodule during routine health checks. The operation aimed to remove the cancerous growth and confirm its diagnosis. It matters because the procedure also helps doctors assess the disease and plan what happens next.

Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung. The operation lasted 90 minutes, while the pope spent three hours in the operating room. Tissue examination confirmed pulmonary adenocarcinoma, which doctors had suspected from pre-operative tests. The Vatican reported no complications.

Leo woke normally after surgery and asked for dinner, according to the Vatican. He is expected to recover for several days in his room on the 10th floor of Rome’s Gemelli hospital. Further tests will determine whether the cancer has spread. His audiences are cancelled until October 20, and his November South America trip may be affected.

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma is a form of lung cancer that starts in gland-forming cells, which can produce substances such as mucus. It is generally classified as non-small-cell lung cancer. The distinction matters because the cancer’s cell type, stage, and genetic features help guide treatment.

Other major lung-cancer categories include squamous-cell carcinoma, another non-small-cell cancer that begins in different lining cells, and small-cell lung cancer, which tends to behave and spread differently. Doctors confirm the type by examining tissue removed during a biopsy or operation. The article says surgery confirmed adenocarcinoma in Leo’s case.

The diagnosis alone does not show whether the cancer has spread or exactly which treatment is needed. Further testing is therefore important. Leo’s doctors were carrying out additional tests after surgery. Those results, along with the tumor’s features, will help determine whether surgery was sufficient or whether additional treatment should be considered.

The Vatican said the lower lobe of Leo’s right lung was removed to make the procedure “radical,” meaning surgeons aimed to remove the cancerous area completely. The article does not give the tumor’s size or the percentage of lung removed. It does state that only one lobe, rather than the entire right lung, was taken out.

Anatomically, the right lung is divided into three sections called lobes: upper, middle, and lower. Removing the lower lobe is called a lobectomy. The remaining upper and middle lobes continue occupying the right side of the chest, while the left lung remains in place. The operation therefore removed one of three right-lung lobes.

How well someone functions afterward depends on overall health, lung reserve, and disease status. The Vatican reported that Leo’s surgery was successful and had no complications. His recovery and further test results will show how the operation affects his care and schedule.

After lung-cancer surgery, doctors assess whether cancer remains confined to the lung or has moved elsewhere. This is called staging. It matters because stage influences the likely outlook and helps determine whether surgery alone is enough or whether additional treatment is needed. The article says Leo’s further tests were still being carried out.

Common evaluations include CT scans of the chest and upper abdomen, PET scans to identify active disease, and brain imaging when clinically appropriate. Doctors may also examine nearby lymph nodes during surgery or with a separate sampling procedure. Laboratory analysis of the removed tumor can provide more information about its features.

These tests do not all apply to every patient. The Vatican has not specified which examinations Leo is receiving or whether cancer has spread. For now, the article reports only that the operation confirmed pulmonary adenocarcinoma. His test results could shape further treatment and influence the length of his recovery.

Recovery after removal of a lung lobe usually begins in hospital, where clinicians monitor breathing, oxygen levels, pain, wounds, and possible complications. Patients are often encouraged to sit up, walk, and perform breathing exercises as soon as safely possible. The aim is to help the remaining lung tissue work effectively and prevent problems from immobility.

A patient may experience tiredness, chest discomfort, coughing, or shortness of breath during early recovery. Activity normally increases gradually, and follow-up visits check healing and review the cancer findings. Recovery time depends on the person’s health, the operation, and whether further treatment is needed.

The Vatican expects Leo to remain in his room at Rome’s Gemelli hospital for several days. It reported that surgery was successful, with no complications, and that he woke normally. The article does not provide a detailed personal recovery timetable, so his eventual return to duties remains uncertain.

The operation immediately affects the pope’s public schedule because he needs hospital recovery after lung surgery. The Vatican said audiences were cancelled until October 20. This gives him time to recover rather than resume public duties immediately. The length of any further interruption depends on his health and medical advice.

The next major commitment is a visit to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru, scheduled for November 6 to 17. A lengthy recovery, additional treatment, or complications could require changes to that itinerary. The article does not report any complications, but it says the operation raises questions about whether the trip will go ahead.

For now, Leo is expected to stay several days at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. Doctors are conducting further tests to determine whether the cancer has spread. Those results, together with his recovery, will likely guide decisions about audiences and travel. The Vatican had not announced a final change to the South America plans.

Breathing brings air into the lungs, where oxygen crosses from tiny air sacs into nearby blood vessels. At the same time, carbon dioxide moves from the blood into those air spaces and is breathed out. This exchange supplies body tissues with oxygen and removes a waste gas. The process occurs continuously with each breath.

Removing one lung lobe reduces the total available air-exchange surface, but it does not remove the entire respiratory system. The remaining lobes on the right side and the left lung can still fill with air and exchange gases. The body may adapt by using its remaining lung tissue more effectively, although breathing capacity can be lower.

The effect varies with pre-existing lung health, fitness, the amount of disease, and the operation’s success. The article reports that Leo’s surgery had no complications and that he woke normally. It does not give measurements of his breathing capacity or predict his individual recovery.