Pope Leo spends a peaceful night in the hospital after cancer surgery
Pope Leo XIV spent a calm night in the hospital after successful surgery that saw part of his right lung removed and a confirmed cancer diagnosis, the Vatican said early Wednesday.
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It said more information would follow later in the day.
The 71-year-old American pontiff was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer which accounts for 80% of all cases, according to the American Lung Association.
The 90-minute operation to remove a malignant lung nodule was completed “successfully, on schedule and as planned,” the Vatican said Tuesday. Leo was in the operating theatre for nearly three hours, it said.
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The Vatican did not offer details on planned treatment moving forward or whether the cancer might have spread.
The initial lump was detected during a routine check, the Vatican has said. The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics took the rare step of revealing the health issue — the first of his papacy — during his Sunday noon prayer.
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Leo waved to crowds outside Rome’s Gemelli hospital as he entered on Tuesday.
