Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer, successfully undergoes surgery to remove cancerous tumour

Pope Leo makes his first official public appearance on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on May 8, 2025. Photo: Vatican News

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Oct 14: Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer but had successful surgery to remove a lower lobe of his right lung which was found to have a cancerous growth, according to Vatican News, as reported by the BBC.

The 71-year-old pontiff underwent the procedure at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Tuesday, following preoperative examinations that had raised suspicion of the cancer.

According to Vatican News, Pope Leo underwent thoracic surgery to remove the lower lobe of the Pope’s right lung, a statement from Dr Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora released by the Holy See Press Office stated.

“To ensure a radical resection, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique,” the statement said.

“An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the preoperative examinations,” the doctors said, as reported by Vatican News.

The Pope was in the operating room for approximately three hours, while the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The doctors said the procedure was successful, with no complications reported. – DayakDaily