Pope Leo
“The procedure took place successfully, on time and as planned,” a brief Vatican statement said.
The Vatican said in a medical bulletin that the lower lobe of Leo’s right lung was removed and he was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer.
The Vatican said the diagnosis was suspected through pre-operative tests and confirmed during surgery.
The surgery at Rome’s prestigious Gemelli Hospital, which has been the main treatment site for popes for decades, lasted about three hours. Leo’s recovery is expected to take about a week, the statement added.
According to oncologists, Leo has an excellent prognosis since the cancerous nodule was detected so early.
A Vatican source cited by the AFP news agency said additional tests were being carried out to determine whether the cancer had spread further.
Transparency change
Leo, 71, revealed his health problem to thousands of worshipers during a prayer service on Sunday, marking a marked change in the level of transparency about his health compared to his predecessors.
In the past, the Vatican has often been accused of making confusing or extremely vague statements about the health of popes, or even revealing information.
All of the pontiff’s engagements have been canceled until October 20. It is likely he will still make a planned trip to South America in November.
Editing: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez, Wesley Dockery, Zac Crellin
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the pope underwent surgery for seven hours. The duration of his operation was actually three hours.
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