The Pope underwent surgery without complications for a cancerous nodule in his lung

The nodule that Pope Leo XIV had removed during a 90-minute surgery Tuesday at Rome's Gemelli Hospital was cancerous, requiring the removal of the "lower lobe of the right lung," the Vatican said, after announcing that the operation had "gone well."

At the end of this, the Pope "woke up normally" and was able to return to his room on the 10th floor of the hospital "after a short period of observation," he added in a statement signed by the Pope's referring physician and by the professor leading the thoracic surgery team that operated on Leo XIV.

"In order to make the intervention radical, the lower lobe of the right lung was removed," they explained, adding that the operation had "confirmed the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, as suspected by preoperative examinations."

When asked about possible signs of the cancer spreading, a source at the Vatican indicated that further tests were underway.

"The procedure went well and there were no complications," repeated the Vatican, which, shortly before 8:00 PM (6:00 PM GMT), had sent an initial statement indicating the positive outcome of the operation.

Having remained in the operating room for approximately three hours, the Pope, according to a Vatican source, requested dinner after the procedure.

This is the first health alert for the 71-year-old pontiff, who has so far displayed excellent health since his election as head of the Catholic Church on May 8, 2025.

The leader of the 1.4 billion Catholics greeted the crowd, smiling, upon his arrival shortly after 1:00 PM at the Gemelli, where the Vatican had warned - before the operation - that he would have to remain hospitalized for about a week.

It was not immediately known whether the Pope would have to observe a longer convalescence, which could compromise his long official trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru scheduled from November 6 to 17, a highly anticipated tour with a particularly busy program.

- Surprise announcement -

On Sunday, at the end of the Angelus prayer, the American pope announced that this nodule - a small growth - had been discovered "at a very early stage" during recent examinations, an announcement that surprised Catholics around the world.

"The doctors deemed it necessary to intervene, and therefore, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery," the Pope explained to the faithful in St. Peter's Square. This transparency is unusual for the Vatican, where communication about the health of popes remains sensitive, despite the efforts of his Argentinian predecessor, Francis, who died in April 2025, to promote greater openness.

The announcement prompted messages of support from around the world, and in the hospital chapel, dozens of faithful prayed Tuesday evening for the Pope's health.

Interviewed by AFPTV before the operation, Giorgia Fei, a 57-year-old Italian housewife, said she was "very calm, very optimistic for the Holy Father" because he is "in very good hands here at the hospital" where "we have excellent doctors".

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday, after the announcement of the cancerous nature of the nodule, that all his "thoughts and prayers" were with Pope Leo XIV, "a source of inspiration for Catholics around the world."

All of the Pope's appointments have been cancelled until October 20, including a major mass on Wednesday, for which he will be replaced by the new Dean of the Cardinals, Monsignor Luis Antonio Tagle.

Church law does not provide any special provisions in the event of health problems of the Pope, who is elected for life.

Leo XIV is staying on the tenth floor of the Gemelli hospital, in a different area than the medical suite of the popes currently under construction, where Francis had been hospitalized a few weeks before his death.

- "Very positive" prognosis -

Born in Chicago, Robert Francis Prevost is considered to be in good health and enjoys sports, especially tennis, which he plays regularly.

The nodule in the Pope's lung was discovered during routine examinations and not as a result of symptoms, the Vatican clarified.

According to Dr. Juanita Mora, spokeswoman for the American Lung Association interviewed by AFP, "the biopsy revealed an adenocarcinoma, and treatment options will vary depending on the stage found."

"Is it grade 1, 2 or 3 cancer? Has it spread? Because that's what they'll use to determine whether (the Pope) needs chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy to treat this adenocarcinoma," she elaborated.

"If the tumor is well localized and they have removed the lobe, then that may be enough," added Dr. Mora, specifying that the five-year survival rate for this form of cancer, when the tumor is detected at an early stage, was "80 to 98%, especially after surgical removal."

Even if the nodule turned out to be cancerous, the Pope's prognosis would be "very positive," Professor Federico Venuta, head of the thoracic surgery department at the Policlinico Umberto I hospital in Rome, also explained to AFP.