Pope Leo XIV has had lung cancer diagnosed after surgeons removed a part of his right lung on Tuesday, the Vatican said.
The Pope, 71, has adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer, with tissue tests conducted during the operation confirming what doctors had suspected from preparatory examinations, the Vatican said.
He was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital for surgery to remove the growth that doctors had discovered in a recent health check-up.
The Vatican said earlier on Tuesday that the operation had been successful, before providing a more detailed update from the Pope's lead surgeon and personal physician.
"In order to make the procedure curative, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique," the medical update said, making it clear that the aim was to eliminate all cancerous tissue.
Medical experts said that in order to assess the Pope's case they would need to know the size of the tumour removed from him and whether the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes.
Pope Leo is due to make an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru starting from November 6 to 17, but it was not clear if this trip would still go ahead. The Vatican has cancelled all of his audiences until October 21 to give him time to recuperate.
The American-born pontiff revealed during his regular Sunday blessing on October 11 that doctors had discovered the nodule.
The late Pope Francis, Pope Leo's predecessor, was admitted to hospital several times as he grew frail in his later years. He died aged 88 in April 2025.
Pope Leo was elected leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics in May 2025.
He has left his mark on the papacy by addressing the social and ethical implications of artificial intelligence and has grown increasingly critical of US military actions, challenging the administration of President Donald Trump's argument that God was on the side of the US in its conflict with Iran.
