What to know about Pope Leo XIV’s lung cancer diagnosis

Published October 14, 2026 2:32pm ET | Updated October 14, 2026 2:32pm ET



Pope Leo XIV has begun recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous nodule in his lung, according to a statement from the Vatican and papal physicians on Wednesday.

Doctors at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome, Italy, told reporters on Wednesday that Leo, 71, has resumed certain regular activities following the surgery that confirmed the pontiff has lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer. 

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