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Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery
USA Today • • world
Key Points:
- Pope Leo XIV underwent successful surgery on October 13 to remove a small lung nodule, which led to a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of non-small-cell lung cancer.
- The surgery involved removing the lower lobe of the pope's right lung, and he is currently recovering in the hospital with an expected stay of about one week.
- Adenocarcinoma, often found in nonsmokers like Pope Leo, tends to grow slowly and may respond well to treatment if detected early; however, the Vatican has not disclosed the cancer stage.
- Medical experts suggest that if the cancer is localized with no lymph node involvement, surgery could be curative, but prognosis depends heavily on the cancer's stage and overall health.
- All of Pope Leo's public events have been canceled through October 20, though he is scheduled for a tour of Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru starting November 6.
