Pope Leo XIV diagnosed with lung cancer

Pope Leo XIV, 71, was diagnosed with lung cancer during surgery to remove part of his right lung. Specifically, he was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Reuters reports this with reference to the Vatican medical bulletin.

The results of the analysis of tissues taken during the operation confirmed the suspicions of doctors based on the results of previous examinations. On October 13, the Pope was hospitalized at the Gemelli Clinic in Rome to remove a neoplasm that doctors discovered during a recent routine medical examination.

The operation lasted about 90 minutes and was successful, without complications. The Vatican previously announced that the Pope would be in the hospital for about a week. All of his public events have been canceled until October 20.

Steven Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown University in Washington, said that the stage of the cancer is critical for prognosis and treatment, but that information is still unknown.

Reuters notes that Leo XIV, who was elected Pope in May 2025, is considered relatively young for a church leader. He enjoys sports, particularly tennis. The pontiff does not smoke and, as previously reported, has had no recent health problems.

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