Pope Leo has cancerous tumour removed in lung operation

Pope Leo XIV had a cancerous tumour removed from his right lung in a 90-minute operation on Tuesday and "woke up normally" after the procedure, the Vatican said.

Pope Leo XIV arrives to lead a Holy Mass at the Yaounde Ville Airport in Yaounde on the sixth day of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa, on April 18, 2026. (Photo by PATRICK MEINHARDT / AFP)

A Vatican source said further tests were being carried out to determine if the cancer had spread.

"To ensure the procedure was radical, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed," the Vatican said in a statement.

The operation "confirmed the diagnosis of a pulmonary adenocarcinoma, as suspected from the pre-operative tests", it said.

The 71-year-old pope was in the operating room at Rome's Gemelli hospital for a total of three hours and the operation lasted half that time.

"The surgery was successful and there were no complications," the Vatican said, with a source adding that he had requested dinner after the procedure.

Source: Citizen Digital