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Growth on pope's lung was cancerous: Vatican

Agence France-Presse · Oct 14, 2026, 4:42 AM

A picture shows the statue of John Paul II outside Rome's Gemelli University Hospital, where Pope Leo XIV has been admitted for an operation to remove a lump from his lung, on 13 October 2026. — Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Doctors removed part of Pope Leo XIV's right lung during a 90-minute operation on Tuesday after finding a cancerous growth, the Vatican said in a statement.

The pope "woke up normally" after the operation and is now back in his room on the 10th floor of Rome's Gemelli hospital, the statement said.

A Vatican source added that the pope had asked for dinner.

"To ensure the procedure was radical, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed," the Vatican said, adding that the operation "confirmed the diagnosis of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the pre-operative tests".

"The Holy Father was in the operating room for about 3 hours, and the duration of the operation itself was around 90 minutes. The surgery was successful and there were no complications," the statement said.

Asked if there was any sign that the cancer had spread further, a Vatican source said further tests were being carried out.