Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer, has surgery to remove part of organ

Joshua McElweeOctober 14, 2026 — 7:13amVatican City: Pope Leo had a lower lobe of his right lung removed during surgery and was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer, the Vatican said in a medical bulletin.Leo, 71, was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital for surgery on Tuesday to remove a growth on his lung that doctors found in a recent health checkup.Pope Leo is recovering in hospital.AP Photo/Andrew MedichiniThe surgery lasted about 90 minutes and was successful with no complications, the Vatican said. The pope has woken up normally and is resting in his hospital room.The Vatican said previously that the pope was expected to spend a week in hospital recovering.From our partners