First American Pope Leo XIV, 71, Undergoes 90-Minute Procedure in Rome — Vatican Issues Update on His Condition and What Was Discovered

Pope Leo XIV's first hospitalization as pontiff began with a troubling discovery during routine medical tests — an abnormality doctors believed needed to be removed.

Days later, the 71-year-old, the first American pope in history, was recovering on the 10th floor of a Rome hospital after surgeons performed a 90-minute operation.

Although the procedure went according to plan, one crucial question remained unanswered: What exactly had doctors found?

The answer finally emerged following surgery on Tuesday, October 13. But before revealing the findings, the Vatican issued an update on the pontiff's condition as concerns mounted over his health.

Routine Tests Uncover a Troubling Abnormality

Leo first revealed his unexpected medical ordeal on Sunday, October 11, 2026, while addressing crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square. Doctors had discovered a "nodule" on his lung and recommended that it be surgically removed.

According to the Vatican press office, the abnormality was detected during "routine tests." Leo described the growth as "well-contained" and said doctors had caught it "at a very early stage."

But the Vatican offered no further details about the nodule, leaving its exact nature unclear. The discovery was particularly concerning because Leo, 71, had no known underlying health problems.

The pontiff has maintained an active lifestyle, swimming, working out, and playing tennis. According to NPR, he regularly plays tennis with his personal secretary and enjoys horseback riding at Castel Gandolfo.

Despite the looming operation, Leo continued his demanding schedule as though little had changed. On Monday morning, he held back-to-back meetings before attending a gathering of bishops and other church leaders at the Vatican.

Tokyo Cardinal Kikuchi Tsutomu was among those who saw him that day. According to NBC News, Kikuchi said Leo told him he felt fine. The pope had decided to undergo surgery immediately in hopes of avoiding disruptions to his planned trip to Latin America.

But while Leo appeared calm about the procedure, the news had caught even senior Vatican officials by surprise.

Senior Vatican Official Admits He Was Caught Off Guard

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin acknowledged his concern after learning that Leo would undergo surgery.

Parolin had spoken with the pontiff the evening before the operation, but nothing about their conversation appeared to suggest the gravity of the situation.

"We spoke very calmly," Parolin said. "Am I worried? Yes, because I certainly didn't expect something like this." He added that Catholic clergy were praying for the pope as he prepared for the procedure.

"We were all struck by the serenity with which the Pope announced this procedure," Parolin said. "We hope he can resolve this issue as soon as possible. We are confident, but naturally, we are supporting him with our prayers."

Despite his surprise, Parolin found reassurance in one critical detail: Doctors had discovered the abnormality quickly. "It is something that, thank God, was detected immediately," he said. "And normally, when these things are caught in time, they can be resolved."

On Tuesday afternoon, Leo arrived at Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic in northwest Rome for what would become the first hospital stay of his pontificate.

A Familiar Hospital, but an Unexpected Change of Room

Gemelli Hospital has a long history of caring for the Catholic Church's leaders. Its dedicated papal apartment occupies part of the 10th floor and includes a private chapel.

Pope John Paul II, who received treatment there repeatedly, famously nicknamed the hospital "Vatican three." St. Peter's represented Vatican One, while the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo was Vatican Two.

More recently, Pope Francis spent an extended period at Gemelli while receiving treatment for pneumonia in early 2025. But Leo's hospitalization came with an unusual complication.

The traditional papal apartment was undergoing renovations, making it unavailable for his stay. Instead, hospital staff placed him in a nearby room on the same floor, according to the Vatican press office.

With the arrangements settled, doctors proceeded with the operation recommended after the suspicious growth was discovered. The surgery would last approximately an hour and a half.

Surgeons Remove Entire Lower Lobe of Pope's Right Lung

The operation turned out to be more extensive than simply removing the small nodule Leo had initially described. According to CNN, doctors performed video-assisted thoracic surgery. During the procedure, surgeons removed the entire lower lobe of Leo's right lung.

"The Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery as scheduled," Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora said in a statement. "The lower lobe of the right lung was removed using video-assisted surgery."

The operation lasted approximately 90 minutes. By Tuesday evening, the Vatican had delivered its first reassuring update about how the pontiff had come through the procedure. The surgery had concluded "according to plan."

Leo had "returned to his room." According to CBS News, the Vatican also confirmed that the pope "regained consciousness normally" following the operation. He was subsequently taken back to his room on Gemelli's 10th floor.

But while the successful procedure offered immediate relief, it had resolved only part of the medical uncertainty. Doctors still needed to examine the lung tissue they had removed. That examination would finally establish the true nature of the suspicious growth.

Doctors Finally Identify the Suspicious Nodule

The results confirmed that the growth was pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Pope Leo XIV had been diagnosed with lung cancer. According to the Vatican, doctors had already suspected the possibility based on tests conducted before surgery.

Examination associated with the operation confirmed their concerns. The cancerous growth had been removed along with the lower lobe of Leo's right lung. Pulmonary adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 40 percent of cases.

According to the National Library of Medicine, adenocarcinoma belongs to a broader category known as non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC. That group accounts for approximately 85 percent of all lung malignancies.

Adenocarcinoma typically develops in the outer regions of the lung and has a different molecular profile from certain other lung cancers. One particularly notable aspect of the disease is that it can affect people who have never smoked.

It has a comparatively high prevalence among never-smokers, women, younger patients, and people of East Asian descent. Leo is not known to have smoked.

Some adenocarcinomas also contain specific genetic changes, including EGFR mutations and ALK rearrangements. Identifying these abnormalities can help doctors determine whether certain targeted therapies might be effective.

However, the Vatican has not released any molecular testing results for the pontiff. And despite confirming his diagnosis, officials have left several other critical questions unanswered.

Crucial Questions About the Pope's Cancer Remain Unanswered

The Vatican has not formally disclosed the stage of Leo's cancer. Officials have also not revealed whether cancer was detected in his lymph nodes or elsewhere in his body.

There has been no announcement about whether the pope will require chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, or another form of treatment.

Dr. David Jones, chief of thoracic surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, told CBS News that further pathology information would be essential in determining the next steps.

"We're going to need to get more information on his pathology," Jones said. "Were lymph nodes involved? What's some of the molecular pathology that's going to be done that can help dictate what therapy, if any, is indicated?"

For now, those answers have not been made public. Candida Moss, the Edward Cadbury professor of theology at the University of Birmingham in England, pointed to the Vatican's longstanding reluctance to disclose extensive information about papal health.

"The Vatican tends to keep these things under wraps, so there'll be a lot of reading between the lines to try and detect what is the state of the pope's health," she said.

Nevertheless, the information released so far includes one potentially encouraging detail. Leo previously described the abnormality as having been discovered at a very early stage, while doctors have characterized his case as localized.

That distinction could be especially significant when it comes to his recovery and long-term outlook.

Why Early Detection Could Make a Critical Difference

Lung adenocarcinoma can develop without obvious warning signs, making it particularly difficult to detect before the disease advances. According to the National Library of Medicine, early-stage cases are frequently asymptomatic.

Some patients discover they have lung nodules only after undergoing CT scans for unrelated medical reasons. Symptoms often become more apparent as the disease progresses.

These can include persistent coughing, difficulty breathing, chest pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, and unexplained weight loss. In advanced cases, the disease can affect nearby structures or spread to distant organs.

There have been no reports that Leo experienced any of those symptoms. Instead, his abnormality was discovered during routine testing.

Dr. Juanita Mora, national medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association, told CNN that several details surrounding the pontiff's diagnosis were encouraging.

"The fact that Pope Leo had a localized case of adenocarcinoma with an early-stage detection works in his favor," Mora said. "Especially after surgical removal."

Dr. Matthew Triplette, medical director of the Lung Cancer Screening Program and a pulmonary and critical care specialist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, had discussed such procedures before Leo's diagnosis was confirmed.

He explained that surgery to remove a lung nodule is generally minimally invasive and carries a low risk of complications. Triplette also highlighted an encouraging statistic for patients whose non-small cell lung cancer is discovered at the earliest stages.

Five-year disease-free survival exceeds 80 percent in those cases. However, that figure applies generally to patients with the earliest-stage disease. The Vatican has not released enough information to determine whether the statistic applies to Leo's individual prognosis.

For the pontiff, the most immediate challenge is recovering from the removal of a substantial portion of his right lung.

Pope Faces Recovery as His Lungs Adjust to Major Surgery

The procedure Leo underwent is known as a lobectomy, an operation in which surgeons remove an entire lobe of the lung. Mora cautioned that his recovery could be a "little bit longer" because his body must adapt to the loss of part of his right lung.

"Initially, it will be a little harder for him to breathe until the left lung starts to compensate for it," she said. Although the surgery reduces lung capacity, Mora explained that the change may not ultimately have a major impact on Leo's breathing.

Still, the pope will need respiratory therapy exercises as he recovers. He must also be particularly careful about respiratory infections, which could have a greater impact now that part of his lung has been removed.

Patients typically remain hospitalized for several days following a lobectomy while doctors monitor their vital signs and oxygen levels before allowing them to continue recovering at home.

Some pain is also expected after the procedure. But Leo's otherwise active lifestyle could work in his favor. There is also a striking precedent involving his predecessor.

Pope Francis lived for decades after undergoing a right-sided lobectomy following a severe tuberculosis infection when he was young.

"So obviously, a lot of people live and can fully do everything in terms of function and capacity, even with a lobectomy," Mora said. Yet Leo's diagnosis comes at an especially difficult time for his family. His older brother is also undergoing cancer treatment.

Pope's Older Brother Is Battling a Separate Cancer Diagnosis

Leo's older brother, Louis Prevost, is receiving treatment for multiple myeloma, a form of cancer that affects plasma cells. Louis, who lives in Florida, has been battling the disease for years, his wife, Deborah Prevost, told CBS News.

Deborah did not disclose the stage of her husband's cancer but confirmed that he was participating in a clinical trial at a local hospital. Louis was first diagnosed in 2017.

Following treatment in 2019, which included stem cell treatment and participation in a clinical trial, his cancer remained at a "very low level," Deborah said. But three months ago, the family suffered another painful setback when Louis "fell out of remission," according to his wife.

The brothers spoke last week, shortly before Louis entered his latest clinical trial. "He called to let us know what would be happening," Deborah said of Leo. "We keep praying, keeping spirits up for both of them."

Deborah said she could not discuss specific details about the pope's condition and had not heard of any plans for chemotherapy or radiation. Cancer has also touched the family in the past. Leo's mother, Mildred, battled the disease before she died in 1990 at age 77.

In 1984, while living in Rome, the future pontiff wrote to friends about his mother's chemotherapy treatments and the difficulty of being so far from home.

"My mother continues to undergo chemotherapy treatments. ... She's a tough lady and handles it all well, which makes it a little easier for me being so far from Chicago," he wrote.

Born Robert Prevost, Leo grew up alongside his older brothers, Louis and John, in the Chicago area before becoming the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church.

Pope's Upcoming Plans Hang in the Balance

The Vatican has cleared Leo's public schedule through at least October 20 as he recovers from surgery. Before the operation, a spokesman had indicated that the pontiff would probably need approximately one week to recover.

But attention is now turning to his planned trip to Latin America next month. Leo had reportedly wanted to undergo surgery promptly to avoid disrupting those travel plans. Whether the trip can proceed will now depend on his recovery and any further medical findings.

Mora said tests performed in the days following surgery would help doctors determine whether the pope is fit to travel. The Vatican has not announced that the trip has been canceled.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church's daily operations can continue while Leo remains hospitalized, with a separate team already responsible for much of the Vatican's routine business.

However, matters requiring the pontiff's personal signature could face delays if he is unable to attend to them. There is no specific Vatican rule automatically transferring leadership of the Catholic Church when a pope becomes temporarily incapacitated.

Even while unconscious during surgery, Leo retained his full papal authority. Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis issued statements and laws while hospitalized, providing precedents for a pontiff continuing official duties during medical treatment.

For now, Leo's immediate priority remains his recovery at Gemelli Hospital. His operation is complete, he regained consciousness normally, and he has returned to his hospital room.

But the uncertainty surrounding his treatment is far from over. Doctors have yet to publicly establish whether additional therapy will be necessary, and those findings could determine when the 71-year-old pontiff is able to return to his demanding public duties.