Pope Leo recovers after lung cancer surgery
Thursday 15th October 2026 on 02:30 in
Iceland
Pope Leo XIV is up and about after surgery for lung cancer, the Vatican said, according to mbl.is. The 71-year-old pontiff was diagnosed with a small, symptomless nodule in the lower lobe of his right lung.
Tómas Guðbjartsson, a heart and lung surgeon, told mbl.is that the operation Leo underwent is the most common surgery for lung cancer: removing the affected lung lobe, nearby tissue and lymph nodes near the root of the lung. He said this helps ensure the tumour is removed and reduces the chance of it returning.
The procedure is generally used when the disease is confined to the lung. An incidental discovery, before symptoms appear, makes it more likely that the cancer has not spread, Guðbjartsson said. In Iceland, nearly 200 people are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. Surgery is generally attempted when the cancer is confined to the lung and has not spread to lymph nodes or other organs, provided the patient’s lung function allows it.
Some patients with severe emphysema may need a smaller operation to avoid reducing their quality of life too much. In those cases, only a segment or wedge of a lung lobe may be removed. Guðbjartsson said the decision to remove a full lobe in Leo’s case sounded appropriate because the pope was said to be in very good shape.
“Probably no pope has been in better shape,” Guðbjartsson said, adding that Leo was reportedly the first pope to wear a smartwatch and had a personal trainer. The surgeon also noted that cancer is present in the pope’s family.
Guðbjartsson said lung cancer is strongly linked to smoking, although 10 to 15 per cent of people diagnosed have never smoked. That is particularly seen with adenocarcinoma, the most common subtype of lung cancer in Western countries and the most common type not linked to smoking.
Patients often recover quickly after this kind of surgery and may need to stay in hospital for only one or two days, he said. Leo was expected to remain in hospital for a week, and the operation was reported to have gone well.