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What to know about Pope Leo’s lung surgery
NBC News • • world
Key Points:
- Pope Leo XIV will undergo surgery this week to remove a small, early-stage lung nodule detected during recent medical tests, with the Vatican not specifying the exact type of procedure.
- Lung nodules can result from various causes, including cancer, infections, or irritants, but most are benign; it is unclear if the pope had a biopsy prior to surgery.
- The surgery is expected to be minimally invasive with a recovery time of about one week, though it could extend to three or four weeks depending on the extent of lung tissue removal and the pope’s age (71).
- Doctors indicated that if the nodule is cancerous, treatment plans will be adjusted accordingly, and the pope’s scheduled November trip to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru could be affected based on his recovery and diagnosis.
- Early detection of lung nodules improves treatment outcomes, but confirmation of cancer will depend on post-surgery microscopic examination of the removed tissue.
