Vatican confirms lung cancer in Pope Leo XIV
A malignant lung tumour was found during the operation, and part of the right lung was removed.
Follow-up to: Pope Leo XIV successfully operated on for lung nodule Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 20:59
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Pope Leo XIV was diagnosed with lung cancer during an operation, Associated Press reports, citing a medical bulletin from the Vatican. According to the Holy See, the operation was successful and the pope was returned to his room at Gemelli Hospital in Rome.
The new information emerged on Tuesday after the procedure. According to AP, it concerned an adenocarcinoma, a form of lung cancer, in the right lung. Doctors removed the lower lobe of the lung. The Holy See itself reported that the operation had proceeded within the expected time and according to plan.
Vatican News reported on behalf of the Holy See's press service that the pope had returned to his room after the operation. At that point, the statement provided no further information about any possible continuation of treatment. Nothing official has yet been disclosed about the precise prognosis either.
Leo himself announced on Sunday that doctors had found a small, localised abnormality in his lung. The operation had already been scheduled at that point. According to AP, the fact that the abnormality was malignant was confirmed only during or around the operation. This means the new information differs substantially from the earlier report, which referred only to a lung nodule that still needed to be examined.
The Vatican had previously said that the pope was expected to remain in hospital for about a week. His public programme has therefore been adjusted. Which engagements will resume later depends on his recovery and medical advice.
Reporting on a pope's health also has an administrative dimension. Leo is head of the Roman Catholic Church, and his absence could affect appointments, liturgical gatherings and international visits. There is no indication that any procedure concerning his succession is currently under way.
The available information remains limited to statements from the Vatican and reporting on them. There is not yet a public medical schedule for follow-up treatment, and there is no independent information about the prognosis. The news therefore does say what was established during the operation, but not how the recovery will proceed in the longer term.
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The text follows the Vatican's current statements and AP's additional reporting. Unknown medical information is explicitly presented as unknown.
- confirmed Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery on 13 October and then returned to his room. — Confirmed by Vatican News on behalf of the Holy See's press service. source
- confirmed During the operation, lung cancer, described as an adenocarcinoma, was diagnosed and the lower lobe of the right lung was removed. — AP bases this on the Vatican's medical bulletin. source
- confirmed No follow-up treatment or prognosis has been made public. — AP reports that the Vatican provided no details on this. source
Editor's note
The successful operation and the statement about lung cancer according to the Vatican medical bulletin, as reported by AP, are certain. Further treatment and the prognosis are unknown.Sources
- Surgery confirms pope has lung cancer and he had the lower lobe of his right lung removed — Associated Press
- Pope Leo XIV undergoes successful lung surgery — Vatican News
The story so far
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 12:59 Pope Leo XIV admitted for lung operation
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 20:59 Pope Leo XIV successfully operated on for lung nodule
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 22:58 Vatican confirms lung cancer in Pope Leo XIV (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „paus leo xiv”
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