Pope Leo XIV underwent a 90-minute operation to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma, a form of non-small cell lung cancer, with details of the procedure pointing to a potentially favorable prognosis according to a thoracic surgeon, though his exact condition remains unclear.
The Vatican reported that the lower lobe of the right lung was removed using a video-assisted technique in a lobectomy. An intraoperative histological examination confirmed the adenocarcinoma diagnosis that preoperative tests had indicated. The Vatican has not released the cancer stage, which would require microscopic examination of the tumor and any sampled lymph nodes after surgery.
Hooman Noorchashm, a thoracic surgeon and research professor in Northeastern’s School of Law, said patients with this cancer type can live many more years if it is detected early. If the disease is localized to the lung, the five-year survival rate can reach as high as 67 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. Noorchashm noted that if pathology reports show negative margins and no spread to nearby lymph nodes, the prognosis is very good and the operation could prove curative, with chances of surviving another 10 years or more potentially reaching 90 percent or higher depending on other health factors.
Non-small cell lung cancer accounts for about 85 percent of lung cancer cases and includes subtypes such as adenocarcinoma. It affects both smokers and nonsmokers. The fact that the pope proceeded directly to surgery suggests he likely did not have N2 disease involving lymph nodes in the area between the lungs, Noorchashm said, which improves the outlook substantially. Patients with such involvement typically receive chemotherapy first to shrink the tumor.
The Vatican stated on Wednesday that the pope’s recovery is progressing normally. Blood tests and a chest X-ray produced values within the expected range for the procedure. He is receiving respiratory physiotherapy, has begun walking in his room, and has resumed normal eating.
