Vatican announces Pope Leo XIV has lung cancer

• The Vatican said Tuesday that tissue examined during surgery confirmed Pope Leo XIV has lung adenocarcinoma, as doctors had suspected from earlier tests.
• Surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung at Gemelli Hospital, and the Vatican said the operation was successful and had no complications.

The Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer, confirmed during surgery to remove part of his right lung at Rome's Gemelli Hospital.

In a statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the pope's surgeons, Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora, said tissue examined during the operation confirmed "lung adenocarcinoma," as suspected from tests conducted beforehand. The surgeons removed the lower lobe of the pope's right lung.

The pope was in the operating room for about three hours, though the operation itself lasted about 90 minutes. The doctors said the surgery was successful and there were no complications.

The Vatican said Leo regained consciousness normally after the procedure and was then taken back to his room on the 10th floor of the hospital.

Leo announced Sunday, during his weekly noon blessing in St. Peter's Square, that he would have surgery to remove a "localized nodule" in his lung. He said it was found at a "very early stage." Doctors found the growth during a recent health checkup, and the pope left the Vatican for the hospital shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday. 

Read more: Pope Leo XIV admitted to hospital for lung surgery