Officials in Rome confirmed Pope Leo XIV underwent a three-hour procedure to remove adenocarcinoma

The Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo XIV has been diagnosed with lung cancer after undergoing emergency surgery to remove a portion of his right lung in Rome.

In an official medical bulletin issued by the Holy See on Tuesday, doctors confirmed that post-operative pathology reports verified a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

Surgeons successfully performed a lobectomy, completely removing the lower lobe of the 71-year-old pontiff’s right lung during the hospital procedure.

As per the Vatican’s medical team, the underlying pulmonary condition had been suspected during routine preoperative assessments and was formally confirmed once surgeons intervened in the operating room.

“The surgery was successful, and there were no complications,” the Holy See said in an official statement released to reporters. Officials noted that the Bishop of Rome spent approximately three hours inside the surgical wing, with the actual operation lasting roughly 90 minutes.