Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery at Gemelli hospital
Pope Leo has been diagnosed with lung cancer, the Vatican announced late on Tuesday, after the 71-year-old pontiff had the lower lobe of his right lung removed in an operation at Rome's Gemelli hospital.
Pope Leo diagnosed with lung cancer after surgery at Gemelli hospital
The Vatican medical bulletin issued late on Tuesday said tests had confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma in Pope Leo, who underwent pope leo surgery to remove part of his right lung. The diagnosis had been suspected by preoperative tests and was confirmed during the operation itself, according to the Vatican.
What the Vatican bulletin said
The bulletin stated that Leo, who is 71, had the lower lobe of his right lung removed. The Vatican announced the lung cancer finding late on Tuesday. A large crowd had greeted his arrival at Rome's Gemelli hospital earlier that day.
The operation
An earlier Vatican statement said the operation concluded "successfully, on schedule and as planned". Details of the procedure:
- Leo spent about three hours in the operating theatre.
- The operation itself lasted approximately 90 minutes.
- The Vatican said the pope had "now returned to his room" after the surgery.
- He is staying in the 10th-floor private-patient wing of Gemelli, not in the papal suite, which is being renovated.
What Leo had told the crowd
At his angelus prayer on Sunday, Leo said doctors had found a small nodule on his lung during a checkup, describing it as "well-contained" and detected early. He told crowds in St Peter's Square:
The doctors believe it would be right to intervene and so, following their advice, I have decided to have the operation to remove it.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, saw Leo on Monday night and told Rai News: "We spoke with great serenity." He added: "He is truly a great example. The announcement came like a bolt out of the blue, nobody expected it."
What happens next
The Vatican has cancelled all of Leo's appointments until 20 October. The weekly papal audience on Wednesday will be led instead by Luis Antonio Tagle, the Philippine cardinal elected last week as dean of the college of cardinals.
Leo travelled to France on a papal trip in September and, according to the Vatican, is scheduled to go to South America in November for a 12-day trip covering 10 cities.
The Vatican said the pope had returned to his room after the operation, with all his appointments cancelled until 20 October.
