What to know about Pope Leo’s lung cancer

Pope Leo XIV undergoes surgery for early-stage lung cancer

Healfromzero.com – Pope Leo XIV is recovering after doctors removed a cancerous nodule and the lower lobe of his right lung during surgery Tuesday at Agostino Gemelli University Policlinic in northwest Rome. The tumor was identified as pulmonary adenocarcinoma, the most frequently diagnosed form of lung cancer.

The Vatican said the operation removed both the growth and the affected section of the pope’s right lung. At 71, Leo is a nonsmoker who remains physically active, including through tennis, factors that may support his recovery as his body adjusts after the procedure.

What pulmonary adenocarcinoma means

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma is a type of non-small cell lung cancer and represents roughly 40% of lung cancer diagnoses. Compared with small cell lung cancer, it often develops and spreads more gradually, although its course can vary from person to person.

This cancer can arise in people with no smoking history. Smoking increases the risk, but it is not the only possible contributor. Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer apart from smoking, while particle pollution is also considered a risk factor. Adenocarcinoma is diagnosed more often among people who have never smoked, as well as women, younger patients and people of East Asian ancestry.

Its danger is tied in part to the difficulty of finding it early. Many cases are discovered only after the disease has advanced, making early detection especially significant. Pope Leo told a crowd Sunday that physicians had spotted the lung growth at what he described as “a very early stage.”

“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. Juanita Mora, the national medical spokesperson for the American Lung Association, said the currently known details point toward a potentially favorable outlook. Still, the full picture will depend on laboratory results from tissue removed during surgery.

Why surgeons remove a lung lobe

Surgery is commonly the first treatment used when adenocarcinoma appears confined to a portion of the lung. The goal is to remove the tumor with an adequate margin of surrounding tissue while preserving as much lung function as possible.

The right lung has three lobes, while the left has two. In Leo’s case, surgeons removed the right lower lobe. This procedure, known as a lobectomy, is intended to eliminate the known cancer and improve the prospect of a cure when the disease is localized.

Losing one lobe does reduce total lung capacity, but the body can adapt over time. The remaining lung tissue and the left lung may compensate for the lost function. That adjustment can be more noticeable in the days and weeks immediately after surgery, when breathing may feel more difficult and activity is gradually resumed.

“Initially, it will be a little harder for him to breathe until the left lung starts to compensate for it,” Mora said.

Respiratory therapy exercises will likely be part of the pope’s recovery. Such work helps patients regain strength, expand the lungs effectively and reduce complications after chest surgery. Avoiding respiratory infections will also be important because illness can be more consequential after part of a lung has been removed.

There is precedent at the Vatican for living an active life after a lobectomy. Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, had part of his right lung removed following a serious tuberculosis infection in his youth.

“So obviously, a lot of people live and can fully do everything in terms of function and capacity, even with a lobectomy.”

The tests that will shape the next decisions

Recovery from this type of surgery generally includes several days in the hospital while clinicians monitor oxygen levels, vital signs and pain. Once those measures are stable, patients usually continue healing at home. Some discomfort is expected after a lobectomy because the procedure involves the chest and surrounding tissues.

The next medical decisions will rest heavily on pathology results. Doctors are expected to examine the lung tissue as well as lymph nodes near the lung. Cancer cells found in those nodes, or evidence that the disease has moved beyond the original site, could change the stage of the cancer and indicate that treatment beyond surgery is needed.

Possible additional options may include chemotherapy, radiation or immunotherapy. Doctors can also conduct genetic and biomarker testing, which can identify characteristics of a particular tumor and help guide treatment choices if further care becomes necessary. Biomarker testing has expanded the ability to tailor lung cancer treatment, though insurance coverage in the United States is not required by every state even for patients with lung cancer.

Mora said the results will also determine whether Leo can make a planned trip to Latin America next month. The timing of travel will depend not only on the pathology findings but also on his surgical recovery, breathing capacity and overall stability.

“We’re hoping, though, that it’s just an isolated cancer where he’s one and done, in which now we see a survival rate of 80% to 98% when it comes to surgical removal,” Mora said of Leo. “But now we will have to wait for these tests.”

For now, the early identification of a localized tumor and its surgical removal are encouraging elements. The coming days of testing will clarify whether the operation was the full course of treatment or the beginning of a broader cancer-care plan.