Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer and has part of right lung removed, Vatican says
Pope Leo XIV has been admitted to the hospital for surgery to remove a small growth on his lung
Originally Published: 13 OCT 26 07:16 ET
Updated: 13 OCT 26 16:46 ET
By Christopher Lamb, Barbie Nadeau, Antonia Mortensen, CNN
(CNN) — Pope Leo XIV is recovering at a Rome hospital after a “successful” surgery to remove part of his right lung which was found to have a cancerous growth, according to a statement from the Vatican.
The Vatican announced Tuesday evening that the surgery had concluded “according to plan,” and that Leo “has returned to his room.”
“The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled,” said Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora in a statement. “The lower lobe of the right lung was removed using video-assisted surgery.”
Further examination of the lobe revealed evidence of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a common type of lung cancer, they said. The entire procedure lasted about 90 minutes.
The surgery took place Tuesday afternoon at the Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic hospital in northwest Rome, a private medical facility that has a long association with the Vatican. The hospital stay this week is the first of his pontificate.
The 71-year-old pontiff told the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday that doctors had discovered a “nodule” on his lung, which he had been advised to have removed. Leo said on Sunday that the growth had been detected “at a very early stage” and was “well-contained.”
The hospital has a special suite of rooms for the pope on the 10th floor, which Pope John Paul II famously dubbed “Vatican three” during his frequent stays there – St. Peter’s being Vatican one and the papal residence Castel Gandolfo, Vatican two. Pope Francis also spent an extended period there early last year when he was treated for pneumonia.
The pontiff has cancelled all his public events until October 20.
“Surgeries to remove a nodule are usually minimally invasive with a low rate of complications,” Dr. Matthew Triplette, medical director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program and specialist in pulmonary and critical care medicine, said earlier this week. He added that patients normally stay in hospital for a few days and then continue their recovery at home.
“These surgeries to remove the nodule are usually minimally invasive with a low rate of complications,” Triplette told CNN before the Pope’s diagnosis was confirmed. “If this is cancer, the outcomes are quite good, with a 5-year disease free survival of (more than) 80% for the earliest stages of non-small cell lung cancer.”
The Vatican will continue to function while the pope is in hospital although anything requiring his signature will need to be postponed. A spokesman said Sunday that the pope will need about a week to recover following the operation.
The Vatican has no specific rules on how the leadership of the Catholic Church is transferred should the pope be incapacitated. Even if he is unconscious and undergoing surgery, the pontiff retains full papal authority.
Both Pope Francis and Pope John Paul II issued laws and statements while they were being hospitalized. Day-to-day Vatican operations are already handled by a separate team.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin told Italian media on Tuesday that Catholic clergy are all praying for the pope’s good health.
“We were all struck by the serenity with which the Pope announced this procedure,” Parolin said. “We hope he can resolve this issue as soon as possible. We are confident, but naturally, we are supporting him with our prayers.”
Parolin explained that he saw Leo yesterday evening, and that the need for surgery came as a surprise.
“We spoke very calmly,” he said. “Am I worried? Yes, because I certainly didn’t expect something like this.”
“It is something that, thank God, was detected immediately,” Parolin continued. “And normally, when these things are caught in time, they can be resolved.”
The pope kept his normal busy schedule Monday, holding back-to-back meetings in the morning before participating in a gathering of bishops and church leaders in the Vatican.
News of the first American pope’s surgery has led to an outpouring of well-wishes across the world, including from those visiting Rome. “We’re just hoping that his procedure is going to go well,” said Paul Kavulich, who was visiting Rome on a pilgrimage with his daughter on Monday and is from the pope’s hometown of Chicago. “And he’s got God with him – no doubt about that.”
The Vatican press office said the growth on the pope’s lung was discovered during “routine tests.” Leo is not known to have any underlying health problems, and he likes to keep active by playing tennis and going swimming.
The-CNN-Wire
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