Pope Leo XIV undergoes lung cancer surgery

Pope Leo XIV underwent thoracic surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his lung. A medical statement released by his operating surgeon Stefano Margaritora and attending physician Luigi Carbone confirmed that urgent histological examinations verified a diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma. 

Surgeons removed the lower lobe of the 71-year-old pontiff’s right lung using video-assisted thoracic surgery. In total, the head of the Catholic Church remained in the operating room for approximately three hours.